What are the advantages of using mod_rewrite with Apache to handle image display in PHP?

When displaying images in PHP, using mod_rewrite with Apache can provide cleaner URLs and improved SEO. It allows for rewriting URLs to point directly to image files without revealing the file structure on the server. This can help improve website performance and security by preventing direct access to image files.

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^images/([^/]+)/([^/]+)$ /path/to/images/$1/$2 [L]