These images are distinct from the experience of standing in the mosque in their ability to present the totality of the architecture and artwork. By flattening and connecting what is only visible in segments due to the limits of the breadth of eyesight, we’re presented with a new perspective on an age-old tradition of artistry, architecture and design.

“In my opinion, symmetry, repetition, controlling the light and tiling are the most important characteristic of this type of architecture,” he says. “The interesting part is that almost all of the mosques that are intact are being used to this day.”

That fact is especially impressive given the age of some of these buildings. Several are relatively modern—like those from the Qajar Dynasty, which date back to the 1700s. By contrast, architectural remnants from the Achaemenid Empire are as old as 550 BCE.