When the rays of the rising sun reach the building (tiled in seven colors!) and pass through its magnificent stained glass windows, the interior of Nasīr al-Mulk is transformed into a mesmerizing kaleidoscope.
Stained glass windows are de rigeur in Christian churches and are frequently used in modern Jewish temples, but only appear in a handful of the world's mosques.
According to photographer Ramin Rahmani Nejad Asil, they are standard in Iranian architecture and also common in Iranian mosques, used to beautify interiors and also protect against flying insects. Seeing the spectacular effects they produce, it's surprising they aren't standard issue in mosques everywhere!
Photographer Ramin Rahmani Nejad Asil grew up in Shiraz, in the shadow of this spectacular building. He began shooting it five years ago, attracted by the symmetry of the mosque's architecture, and the wild color play among its intricately tiled arches and spires, decorated walls, and richly patterned carpets.