You may well be accustomed to the truly striking portrayals of contemporary architecture on Instagram, but the ubiquitous app also contains gems from centuries long past. A photographer who goes by the username m1rasoulifard has captured an extraordinary array of Iran’s historic structures, focusing on the gloriously detailed ceilings of mosques and cultural complexes across the country.
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With some dating back to 1100 AD, the mind-boggling complexity of these domed ceilings constitute some of the finest examples of architectural tiling anywhere in the world. They were created using a process called “Kashi Moaragh,” an ancient technique in Persian architecture that involves cutting and placing enamel-coated ceramic tiles one by one until a perfect composition is complete.
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While the patterns are notable for their perfect symmetries and geometric rationales, the photographer’s images also reveal a wealth of subtle variation in color, light and shade, with every surface glinting as the illumination changes throughout the day. Ceramic fragments are carefully placed to wrap the concave surface of every alcove, apse and arcade within each building, meaning that the distinctive structural form of the architecture is clearly legible despite the complexity of these finishes.
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For a tour of cool contemporary architecture across Iran, explore Derek Bangle’s collection of architectural treasures as well as Sophia Choi’s collation of serious screen façades located throughout the country.
