Paradise Lost, Persia from Above

'Paradise Lost: Persia from Above' is a unique photographic record of a fascinating part of the world, unfamiliar to many of us. Between 1976 and 1978, Georg Gerster, a pioneer of aerial photography, was granted rare permission to record the landscapes and cities of Persia. Resulting from more than one hundred different flights, these pictures depict key archaeological sites from ziggurats to ancient citadels, as well as architectural marvels and beautiful countryside. 'Paradise Lost' also provides rare glimpses of life in modern Iran, from popular ski resorts to densely-packed urban centres and vividly brings to life a place, period and culture that few people outside the country can witness.