Mashhad

Imam Reza Shrine In Mashhad

The holy shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia Imam in Islam, is geographically located in a city called Mashhad in Khorasan Razavi Province. The city is considered as the holiest place of Iran because of the holy shrine. Imam Reza Holy Shrine is the largest shrine of the world considering its area. This complex includes many other constructions and popular monuments which are tourist attractions too such as Goharshad Mosque, museum, library, seminaries, cemetery, university of Islamic Science, prayer halls and dining halls. The holy shrine of Imam Reza is surrounded by seven courtyards and this adds to the magnificence of the shrine. Dust Clearing is a famous ceremony hold in the shrine, visiting the shrine at this time makes you enjoy its spiritual atmosphere. The fundamental construction of the holy shrine dates back to 9th century.

Tomb Of Ferdowsi In Mashhad

Ferdowsi is the creator of Shahnameh, the masterpiece of Persian epic, a book which defined the identity of the Persian culture. When he passed away, they did not permit to bury him in the cemetery because he believed in Shia school of Islam, so it was forced to bury him in his own garden in Tus near Mashhad. His tomb has always been famous among those who were interested in poetry. Although his tomb was destroyed many times, it was rebuilt again and again by those who loved him. His current tomb was built during Reza Shah according to architectural style of Achaemenid era. Beautiful white marble stone made a nice place as Ferdowsi mausoleum. Visiting there, you would definitely notice some of his magnificent poems inscribed on the walls. With all these features, Ferdowsi Tomb resembles the tomb of Cyrus the Great. A nice pool reflecting the sun light locating in front of the tomb makes the place more delightful. A statue of Ferdowsi is also installed there to honor his effort in giving life to Persian language.

Vakil Abad Zoo In Mashhad

Vakil Abad Zoo is the only zoo in Mashhad, located next to Vakil Abad Park and at the end of Vakil Abad Boulevard. Vakil Abad Park is one of the endowments of Haj Hossein Malek which was dedicated to the public in 1969. The area of this complex is about 260,000 square meters which is irrigated with aqueduct water. The park is one of the oldest places in southwest of Mashhad due to its vegetation from the past and is linked to Azadi Square with the wide and beautiful Vakil Abad Boulevard. The park is the home to a variety of aquatic animals, reptiles, birds, grassy and carnivorous animals such as lions, tigers, bears, pigs, wild boars, chimpanzees, tigers, crocodiles, snakes, ovis orientalis and more. It has 60 species of mammals, 50 species of birds and a variety of reptiles and aquatic animals. There are two reptile halls in this zoo, where there are a variety of fish, crocodiles and snakes and the Museum of Wildlife Hall where animals are taxidermy. Tigon is one of the coolest animals in this zoo. Tigons are the result of tiger and lion union which first appeared in the United States 15 years ago. Tigon cages are located next to the African tiger. This zoo is not only one of the attractions of Mashhad, but also Khorasan Razavi Province. Its natural beauty created a great atmosphere in the park and the outstanding zoo attracts large groups of visitors all year round. For adventurous visitors who always ask for more, a modern amusement park has doubled the fun.

Tomb of Nader Shah

Nader Shah was the last conqueror of Afsharid dynasty. He was a powerful and influential king throughout Iran’s history. When he was alive, he ordered to build a small tomb across from the holy shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad. They constructed the tomb with mud and brick. After his assassination, he was buried in that place, then in Qajar period, they built a new tomb for him to honor his effort. Nader Shah Tomb is the second most important attraction of Mashhad. Before you enter the tomb, you would be amazed by a statue of Nader Shah locating on the entrance path, he is riding a horse and has an axe in his hands and three soldiers are following him. In addition to his tomb, a book shop and two museum halls are located there to make your visit more enjoyable. In one of the museum halls, you could observe many different weapons and in the other one, you could take a time trip by looking at objects which were used by Nader Shah.

Chalidarreh Dam In Mashhad

Mashhad locating in Khorasan Razavi Province hosts many attractions that attract many visitors every year for both pilgrimage and sightseeing. One of these attractions is the Chalidarreh Dam which is located about 10 kilometers away from the city in a valley with the same name in a tourist area called Torqabeh. Participating in Mashhad tours operated by Alaedin Travel, you would treat yourself and your companions with a fantastic day full of excitements. This dam was constructed over a river called Jaghargh and the presence of this river makes the weather so clean and fresh as well as being pleasant. By going there you would not only enjoy the pleasant scenic view but also many facilities available there such as sailing, boating, Jet Ski, bungee jumping and many other fantastic opportunities. The cable car of Chalidarreh Dam in Mashhad passing over the water and its surrounding green area double the joy of your trip. Do not miss it while you are in Mashhad.

Khorshid Palace of Kalat In Mashhad

Kalat means Castles and villages located on top of a mountain. Kalat area in Mashhad is famous as the land of impenetrable castles because of its location among many high mountains. Nader Shah Afshar had made many victories during his kingdom and had received many valuable objects during his victories. He kept them in Khorshid Palace of Kalat in Mashhad which was constructed upon his order by the Iranian and Indian architects. The khorshid Palace of Kalat in Mashhad was constructed in the middle of a big green garden according to the style of the famous Persian Gardens. The Indian architecture is obvious from the facade of this building which was decorated with the picture of fruits such as banana and pine apple which was only available in India at that time. The entrance to this beautiful palace is an octagon leading to a very big hall. There also are many other rooms and balconies in the palace and you would really enjoy watching them.