
Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji may have just found his true calling: capturing the little-seen breathtaking beauty of Iran's most dazzling mosques.

The 24-year-old physics student, who lives in Babol in Iran's Mazandaran province, pursues his passion for photography on the side.

Having no formal training whatsoever, Ganji has honed his eye by reading articles and watching Internet tutorial videos, and has a particular affinity for photographing historical architecture.

Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji captures the little-seen beauty of Iran's most stunning mosques. Pictured: the Pink Mosque in Shiraz

Experimenting with panorama, monument, and landscape photography, Ganji embarked on a project to photograph Muslim places of worship around Iran from unexpected viewpoints over five years ago.

He was inspired after seeing some shots taken from the interior of the Egyptian pyramids online and began to wonder if he too could take pictures of significant historical sites.

From the kaleidoscope-like patterns of the famous Nasīr al-Mulk Mosque (also known as the Pink Mosque) in Shiraz to documenting the intricate ceiling detailing of the Seyyed Mosque in Isfahan, Ganji has travelled to the far reaches of Iran to show foreigners a side of the country rarely seen.

Making the project all the more fascinating is the fact that, while many of these mosques allow for tourists to snap quick photos, most do not allow professional photography equipment through the doors.

This 'little planet view' captures the intricate detailing on the ceiling of the Vakil Mosque, also in Shiraz

'To take professional photos, especially using a tripod, you require permits for most of these locations,' Ganji told MailOnline Travel.

'I go through the paperwork process to obtain a permit a few days before my trip.

'It’s not an easy process and there has been times when even with a permit, I didn’t receive the appropriate reception from the people in charge.'

According to his website, Ganji's believes that the most important element in photography is light, a fact made evident in the images below as he often plays with shadow and streaming sunlight when framing his shots.

Ganji also enjoys photographing popular tourist attractions, such as this historical bath located in Isfahan, south of Tehran

Ganji photographed the plaster ceiling of the music room in Ali Qapu Palace, located in Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan City

'Normally mornings are the best times for photography in any respect,' he told us. 'Specifically, for the lighting and [because] it's less crowded.'

Ganji normally uses wide and fish-eye lenses to capture his stunning panoramic shots.

'Wide lenses provide a larger angle, while panoramic photography offers an even wider angle when joining photographs together,' he said.

'It allows me to show all of the area in one image. Many of my pictures are a combination of more than three images.'

But no matter your lens of choice, Ganji's most important piece of advice?

'Always try to find the distinguishing elements of the place that you're going to photograph,' he told MailOnline. 'Imagine your final result before staring your panoramic shoot.'

This traditional carpet repair workshop is located near the entrance of the Vakil Mosque and Vakil Bazaar, in Shiraz

This is the stunning ceiling of the Chehel Sotoun Palace (or the Palace of Forty Columns), built by Shah Abbas II, in Isfahan

For those who wish to see the grandeur for themselves, tourism to Iran has tripled in the past year, thanks to improved relations with the West and Iran's newly-introduced measures to facilitate foreign tourists.

The Director of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO), Masoud Soltanifar, said: 'Tourist trips to Iran are very attractive, important and cheap for foreigners while at the same time the country enjoys a high level of political and security stability.

'A two-week tourist visa is issued for the nationals of 190 countries at Iranian ports and airports.'

Though the Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential travel, it's expected that the agency will relax their advisories, especially when it comes to visiting major city centres, like Tehran.

Ganji hopes to continue photographing places of historical significance at other well-known Christian and Jewish monuments around the world and will post them on both hisFacebook page and website.

Another shot of the finer details of the Ali Qapu Palace ceiling

One of Ganji's favourite places to photograph is the famed Pink Mosque, however, tourists usually block him from getting such stunning shots

Seyyed Mosque is the biggest and arguably most famous mosque from the Qajar era in Isfahan. It was founded in the 19th century

Eram Garden is an historic Persian garden located in Shiraz, known for its wide variety of flowers, trees and other plants

Another image of the intricate rosy detailing of the Pink Mosque's interiors

Photographed from this fish-eye perspective, the Vakil Mosque - and all of its columns - look like something out of a sci-fi film

Also in the Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan is the Sheikh Lutfollah Mosque, which was completed in 1619

Dolat Abad, which was built in 1750, is renowned for its intricate latticework and exquisite stained glass windows

The ceiling of the Dolat Abad, a small pavilion set amid UNESCO-listed gardens, is nothing short of breathtaking

Ganji believes that light is the most important element when it comes to capturing a stunning photo. Pictured: Emamzadeh-Hasan

Tehran's Azadi Tower (also known as the Liberty Tower) is one of its most notable structures, also marking the west entrance to the city

One of the most popular historical sites in Yazd, the blue and rose-hued Yazd Grand Mosque is still in use

The interior of the Dolat Abad pavilion is a maze of doors and windows, illuminated by the streaming sunshine

In Joffa, the Kordasht Bath is situated on the southern banks of the Aras River, and hosts thousands of visitors each year

Ganji captured a rare bottom-up view of the Jameh Mosque ceilings in Yazd. This mosque is the grand, congregational mosque

The Nasir al-Mulk Mosque is known as the Pink Mosque because of its rose-coloured tiles

As the sun shines through the stained glass windows, its dominant red hue is highlighted by a kailedoscope of colours

The broad spectrum of light is really only visible in late autumn and early winter, when the sun is lower in the sky

The Shah Mosque is also known as Emam Mosque and was named after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran

The Palace of Hasht Behesht, meaning Eight Paradises, is a Safavid-era palace in Isfahan and was built in 1669

Another view of the gilded hues of the Shah Mosque's ceilings in Isfahah, Iran

The panoramic view of the Shah (Emam) Mosque is positively stunning

In the early morning light, the Shah Mosque's detailing is as vibrant as ever

A rare view of the Azadi Tower, which was built in 1971 in commemoration of the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire

The incredible turquoise hues of the Sheikh Lutfollah Mosque stands on the eastern side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square

Clouds swirl above Tehran City's most iconic monument: the Azadi (Liberty) Tower

Ganji calls this black and white photograph, shot using a strategic fish-eye lens, the 'Smiling Tower'