Mashhad Attractions
Mashhad Attractions
Imam Reza Shrine
The magnificent holy shrine of Imam Reza and the historical and artistic complex attached to it including the courtyards, porticoes and porches, the Goharshad Mosque as well as its rich museum and library are the most significant sights to be seen by any visitor and pilgrim. There is a magnificent golden dome over the shrine's building, surrounded by several porches. Imam Reza Shrine Complexis the largest mosque in the world by dimension and the second largest in capacity.
Nader Shah Park & Mausoleum
Nader Shah, the founder of Afshar dynasty (1736 – 1747), is considered a local hero for briefly returning Khorasan to the centre of a vast Central Asian empire. Nader’s horseback statue crowns his otherwise rather dour 1950s grey-granite mausoleum, which was designed to emulate the lines of a tent (reputedly Nader was born and died under canvas). A small museum displays guns, a rhino-hide shield and four-pointed hats that must have made Afshar-dynasty courtiers look like jesters.
Boq’eh-ye Khajeh Rabi
This beautifully proportioned, blue-domed mausoleum commemorates an apostle of the prophet Mohammad. Coming to pay respects here was said to have been Imam Reza’s ‘main consolation’ in coming all the way out to Khorasan. The tower took its present form after a 1612 rebuild, which added a band of interior Kufic inscriptions by master-calligrapher Ali Reza Abbasi. The beautiful floral motifs around it date from a Qajar redecoration. Surrounding the mausoleum is a large cemetery paved with thousands of tombstones.
Carpet Museum
In this museum you will find rugs ranging from beautiful classics through to garish coral gardens and a Tabriz-made carpet-portrait of WWI bogey-man Kaiser Wilhelm II. Tying the staggering 30 million knots for Seven Beloved Cities took 14 years. Upstairs, beside the shoe-deposit counter, is a two-room Calligraphy Gallery displaying priceless Korans, many dating back over a millennium.
Other Attractions
Outside of Mashhad There are also some sights outside the city. Tomb of Khajeh Morad kilometers from Mashhad along the road to Tehran, the tomb of Khajeh Rabi' located 6 kilometers north of the city where there are some inscriptions by the renowned Safavid calligrapher Reza Abbasi, and the tomb of Khajeh Abasalt in a distance of 20 kilometers from Mashhad along the road to Neishabour, (the three personalities were the disciples of Imam Reza). Among the other sights are the tomb of the great poet Ferdowsi in Tous, 24 kilometers away from Mashhad; and the summer resorts at Torghabeh, Torogh, Akhlomod, Zoshk and Shandiz.
Further Reading:
Mystery Of Iran
Traveling to Iran as an American citizen may sound complicated and dangerous. It’s not!
Editor’s Note:
Retired Eau Claire County Judge Thomas Barland recently spent nearly two weeks in Iran. Barlandestimates he has taken 75 foreign trips, visiting about 70 countries. He wrote this account for the Leader-Telegram.
From street sports to exclusive eats to nose job mania, Iran has quite a few mysteries waiting to be uncovered!
If mosques and ancient ruins aren’t enough to sate your touristic needs, Iran’s varied and dramatic landscapes offer the demanding traveler a wealth of awe-inspiring, unspoilt views to discover.
The beautiful and undiscovered places, stunning landscapes and fascinating sights in Iran’s nature, the inhabitant’s ethnic group’s variety, and also the hospitality and culture of locals in small villages or nomadic parts which are suitable for trekking, make Iran a perfect destination for these sort of activities.
While you probably won’t spot Salman Rushdie waxing down his Burton Custom X board at the top of a run anytime soon, Iran’s Dizin ski resort — an under-two-hour drive north from Tehran, up in the Alborz mountains — could be the next Alps.
Do you wish to travel to Iran to experience the delights of the ancient Persian Empire? Do you know new rules and regulations about traveling to Iran? And most important of all; what do previous Iran travelers experience in Iran? There are some things to review before traveling to Iran.
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