Mashhad

With the population of 2,700,000 people, Mashhad is the second largest city in Iran. The city is located in the northeast of Iran and is close to the countries Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. The city is one of the holiest place for Shia Muslims due to the shrine of Imam Reza, the Eighth Imam of Shia Religious. The previous name of the city was Sanabad. After the martyrdom of Imam Reza at Tous in 818 and building his shrine, the city took the name Mashhad which means “the burial place of the martyr”. The city attracts millions of religious tourists every year.

The tourist attractions of Mashhad are:

Imam Reza Holy Shrine
Imam Reza Shrine which contains the mausoleum of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Twelver Shiism, is the largest mosque in the world in terms of area. The complex also contains Goharshad Mosque, a museum, a library, four seminaries, a cemetery, a university, a dining hall for pilgrims, vast prayer halls and so on. The complex is one of the top tourism centers in Iran and 25 million people annually visit the shrine.

There was a place called Darol-Imarah (Royal Residence) in the position of the shrine before the Islamic era. The original building was at first a worshiping place for Zoroastrians. It was then demolished by the order of Mamun and then rebuilt by the architecture of Khorasan. The shrine has two special characters of architecture and ritual. The architecture is formed during several centuries. The internal architecture of the shrine is a gorgeous Iranian and Islamic design which attracts the intentions by its beauty.

Imam Reza Shrine

Imam Reza Museum
The museum is located in the vicinity of Holy Shrine of Imam Reza and was founded in 1937. Old artifacts and manuscripts which are preserved in the shrine through centuries are the bold properties of the museum.

Imam Reza Museum

Ferdowsi Tomb
Ferdowsi was a Persian Poet that is considered as the person with highest influence on the Persian language. He lived during the 10th century. The tome is made of a white marble base and there is an edifice made in honor the Persian poet. It is constructed in 1930s by the order of Reza Shah using Achaemenid architecture in order to show Iran’s rich culture and history.

Khajeh Abasalt Mausoleum
Khajeh Abasalt Mausoleum was one of the closest attendant of Imam Reza who died 34 years after his Imam. According to history, he was always alongside Imam Reza in every activity. His mausoleum is 12 km far from Mashhad City. The history of his tomb dates back to the 8th century.

Khajeh Rabi Tomb
Khajeh Rabi Tomb dates back to the Safavid era. He was one of the commanders of Imam Ali (first Imam of Shia religious). The mausoleum is built by the Safavid king Shah Abbas. The architecture of the building which uses colored tiles in the external facet and golden color design in the interior facet gives the building a unique cultural position.

Khajeh Rabi Tomb

Nadershah Tomb Museum
Nadershah Afshar was the king of Iran from 1736 to 1747 and was one of the most powerful kings in Iran. Because of his successes in the wars, some historians have called him “the Napoleon of Persia”. Nadershah ordered to build a tomb for himself and a tomb made by adobe was constructed in Mashhad in the 1730s. Building the current tomb for Nadershah was started in 1956 and finished in 1961.

Vakil Abad Zoo
The zoo is located at Vakil Abad Park which has 260,000 square meters of area. The zoo includes a wide variety of animals including reptiles, birds, herbivores, carnivores and so on. It is a good place for the travelers who like watching animals.

Vakil Abad Zoo

Torghabeh and Shandiz County
Torghabeh is a summer resort near Mashhad Located at  18 km of Vakil Abad Road and between two lush valleys.  It has a population around 13,000 people.  Torghabeh is a cozy village with striking natural scenery hidden in the mountain range of Binalud with cold weather in winter but pleasantly cool in summer.