Written by: Will Jones

Extraordinary Photographs Capture Beautiful Interiors of Iran’s Mosques

Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji has captured the world’s attention with his extraordinary photographs revealing the inner beauty of Iran’s mosques.



The 24-year-old physics student from Babol in northern Iran taught himself the art of photography through online tutorials and books, and has shown himself to be something of a prodigy.





Speaking to gapyear.com, Ganji said: “I was first inspired by images of the interior spaces of the Egyptian pyramids, so I became interested in photographing historical locations as well as ancient and symbolic architecture. I realised there were a lot of opportunities in Iran for this sort of photography, so I began my work.”





That was five years ago, and Ganji has since travelled the length and breadth of his country, documenting places of worship in captivating detail. He usually has to obtain special permits to use the type of equipment – specifically tripods – needed to produce these images, and he times his visits to coincide with quiet periods in the day, so as to evoke the theme of serenity which courses through his work.







Ganji’s studies have influenced his work enormously, and he says that the problems he has to solve in his physics classes are practise for his imagination when preparing to photograph.

“A 3D mindset helps me to analyse the space and to imagine the final result before I start taking my photos. Also, photography is to record light, and light is one of the most important elements we study in physics.”







Ganji is as passionate about architecture as he is about photography, and appreciates the mind-boggling skill needed to create these mosques, noting their perfect symmetry, repetition and the way they control the light.

“The lights and shadows are like columns in their own right; they give depth to the architecture. In the religion of Islam – just like Christianity and Judaism – light directs man, it shows him a pass through the darkness.”











Happily for us, Ganji plans to continue his work, branching out into other cultures and religions, so watch this space.

“I want to take photos from historical places and symbols in other countries, particularly Christian and Jewish shrines – I want a thorough collection.”





















To see more of Ganji’s work, check out his Facebook page or his website at gravity.ir