Mashhad (all images)

With 2.4 million inhabitants Mashhad is Iran's second biggest city and one of the holiest cities for Shia Muslims. Mashhad lies in eastern Iran, not far from the borders to Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, about 730 km to the east of Tehran, in the Razavi Khorasan province. The main attraction of Mashhad is the Imam Reza Holy Shrine, also known as Haram-e Razavi, or Haram complex. This is a pilgrimage centre extending over an area of 500m x 500m with several courtyards, beautifully decorated halls and other structures. Mashhad is a clean and modern city with a good infrastructure. It has an international airport and is connected by train to Tehran. A metro system is in operation and is being expanded. Mashhad is centre for higher education with over 20 colleges and universities.


01 Blue and golden domes of shrine	02 Blue and golden domes of shrine	03 Panoramic view of blue and golden domes of shrine


04 Arches	05 Arches	06 Entrance


07 Wall with colonnade	08 Entrance to Imam Reza holy shrine	09 Courtyard next to shrine entrance	10 Dome and iwan


11 Colonnade	12 Colonnade	13 Pilgrims walking next to entrance	14 Women in front of poster of Ayatollahs Khomeini and Khamenei


15 Skyline of Imam Reza holy shrine	16 Haram area

17 Skyline of Imam Reza holy shrine

18 Skyline of Imam Reza holy shrine


19 Golden dome and minarets at night	20 Golden dome and minarets at night	21 Golden minaret at night	22 Golden dome and minaret at night	23 Blue dome and minaret at night

24 Golden dome and minarets at night

25 Skyline of Imam Reza holy shrine at night


26 Courtyard near entrance at night	27 Pilgrims having donner after dark	01 View of shrine	02 Panoramic view of Mashhad


03 Panoramic view of Mashhad	04 Panoramic view of Mashhad


05 Panoramic view of Mashhad	06 Dah e Dey square	07 Imam Khomeini street	08 Shop on Imam Khomeini street


09 Imam Khomeini street	10 Men wearing dishdasha crossing the street	11 Pavement	12 Shop on Imam Khomeini street	13 Women with black hijab


14 Fountain with red water on Moqaddas square	15 Shops near shrine	16 Dried fruits shop at night	17 Alley near shrine	18 Shopping centre at night


01 Boq e-ye Khajeh Rabi mausoleum	02 Garden flowers	03 Inner court	04 Colonnade


05 Blue dome	06 Tombstones with Arabic inscriptions	07 Boq e-ye Khajeh Rabi mausoleum	08 Alcove	09 Mausoleum hall with decorated walls


10 Decorated ceiling	11 Decorated wall	12 Persian carpet	13 Mausoleum hall with decorated walls	14 Decorated ceiling


15 Interior hall	16 Mausoleum hall with decorated walls	17 Mausoleum hall with decorated walls	18 Mausoleum hall with decorated walls	19 Decorated ceiling


20 Mausoleum hall with decorated walls	01 Park and tomb of Ferdowsi	02 Statue of Ferdowsi	03 Mausoleum of the poet Ferdowsi


04 Mausoleum of the poet Ferdowsi	05 Ferdowsi cenotaph	06 Mausoleum of the poet Ferdowsi	07 Tomb of Ferdowsi	08 Tomb of Ferdowsi


09 Wall inscription in Arabic characters	10 Battle between Iran and Turan bas-relief	11 Rostam and Sohrab bas-relief	12 Bas-relief with scene from a Ferdowsi tale


13 Iranian woman watching stone inscription	14 Couple watching bas-relief	15 Wall inscription in Arabic characters	16 Bas-relief with scene from a Ferdowsi tale	17 Inscription on marble table


18 Hall below the tomb of Ferdowsi	19 Darius and his court bas-relief	20 Basrelief of Sasanian king	21 Arrival of Indian king on elephants to Iranian court


01 Open air restaurant in Shardiz	02 Open air restaurant in Shardiz	03 Open air restaurant in Shardiz	04 Open air restaurant in Shardiz	05 Prayer hall in Golestan shrine	06 Golestan shrine