Stunning photos by an Iranian physicist capture the Iran outsiders never get to see

Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji is a 25-year-old Iranian physics student. But he spends his free time obsessing over how to make photos that will reveal Iran’s architectural heritage and natural beauty to the rest of the world.

Interrupting the usual barrage of headlines about nuclear warheads and oil rigs, the self-taught photographer offers rare views from inside his country’s historic buildings, baths, mosques and ancient ruins. For many outdoor images, Ganji shoots at night to capture Iran’s crystalline starlit sky.

“I saw that there were not enough good photos from the attractions of my country, so I decided to start this type of photography,” Ganji tells Quartz. “Many places in Iran are very beautiful, but still unknown.”