The Masjid-i of Fahraj is the oldest mosque in Iran, built in about 58AH, or 632AD. The thick pillars are built of adobe, sun-dried brick, faced with plaster. Breathe in: you can almost smell the cool mustiness of the walls. A great photograph can engage more senses than just vision.
I saw this picture at Arles Photography Festival in 2016, as a part of what Palmisanocalls Work in Progress: Iran. It pretty much stopped me in my tracks, partly for its technical exquisiteness, partly for its universality. Yes, it’s a mosque, but it stands for countless ancient buildings, of any religion or none.
The more you look at it, the more you see. This is the Jami or Jame Mosque, the Friday Mosque, the name generally given to the main…
