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City &
Highlight Sightseeing ::
Mashhad ::
Highlights |
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MASHAD
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ALL HOTELS &
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Arriving
by plane the first view of the city is that of a
very green and well-laid regular rows of trees. Once
on the ground, the traveler is fascinated by the
golden cupolas and minarets. It is interesting to
know that the word of Mashhad - or more correctly
Mashhad-e Moqaddas (Mashhad the Holy) - literally
means place of martyrdom (or place of burial of a
martyr).
Although it had always attracted pilgrims, Mashhad
did not become a pilgrimage centre of the first
order until the coming of the Safavid dynasty at the
turn of the 16th century. Having established Shi'ism
as the state religion, the most brilliant of the
Safavid rulers, Shah Ismail I, Shah Tahmasp and Shah
Abbas I, gave the city and shrine the place they
have held ever since on the Shiite map, frequently
making pilgrimages there themselves and generously
endowing the sacred complex.
Nowadays, apart from being the holiest city of
Shi'ite Iran, Mashhad can boast of hundreds of
thousands of pilgrims from all over the world,
including Yemenis, Iraqis, Indians, but primarily
Afghans and Pakistanis, the two latter comprising on
that account alone the vast majority of all foreign
tourists in the region.
Annual
Temperature average:
JAN
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FEB
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MAR
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APR
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MAY
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JUN
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JUL
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AUG
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SEP
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OCT
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NOV
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DEC
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4.2
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4.1
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7.7
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15.7
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19.8
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26.4
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28.4
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26.3
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21.7
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18.0
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8.3
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4.9
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Gowharshad Mosque
Grand Mosque of Gowharshad (Masjid-e
Azim-e Gowharshad) with its 50-meter
high faience dome and cavernous golden
portal, is located immediately to the
south of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza
square and is architecturally perhaps
even more important than the mausoleum.
Queen of a mighty empire, wife of
Tamerlane's eldest son Shahrokh, patron
of the arts and powerful personality in
her own right, Gowharshad was one of the
most remarkable women of Islamic
history. Although most of her major
architectural commissions were at her
capital Herat, this mosque in Mashhad is
the best preserved testament to her
genius. She built this beautiful mosque
between 1405 and 1418: though within the
shrine's precincts it is technically and
legally separate. It covers an area of
9419 square meters, and has two
beautiful minarets each 40 meters high.
An inscription can be seen on the margin
of the ivan portal, which was partially
made upon the orders of well-known
Timurid prince called Baysonqor Mirza.
Also there is a pulpit of walnut wood
here, which has been made without making
use of any nail or iron pieces. Sir
Percy Sykes, soldier, diplomat and
historian, describes it as "the noblest
mosque in Central Asia", and A U Pope as
"the first and the greatest surviving
Persian monument of the 15th century."
The facade of its four-ivan court is
decorated with brilliant mosaic tiling
of the highest quality; the two stories
of the arcaded rooms round the court are
used for religious teaching and
gathering. Behind the ivan can be see
the Shrine's golden dome and the two
superb minarets.
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Bazaars of Mashhad
Mashhad has three bazaars. The biggest, the
two storied Bazaar-e Reza (or Bazaar-e
Bozorg), is 800 m long, 30 m wide, and one
of the main shopping centres in the town.
The crafts of Khorassan are all represented
in the bazaar. All kinds of local souvenirs
such as fur-cloak, turquoise, Carnelian
ring, gold, perfume, saffron, pelisse,
prayer-mat, and rosary may be found here
besides a myriad of foreign articles. There
are several escalators in the Bazaar, which
take the visitors to the second floor. The
bazaar has two gates: one in Bayt
ol-Moqaddas Square and the other in the 17th
Shahrivar Square. The next shopping centre
is called Sara-ye Bazaar-e Reza, where
products such as embroidery, knitwear,
shoes, etc, are sold. The third bazaar,
called the Kuwaiti Bazaar, is situated in
the 17th Shahrivar Square, where various
categories of products are sold. Make sure
also to visit a workshop where turquoises
from the Neishabur mines are cut and
polished. Bazaar is open 8 am to 8 p.m.,
SaturDay to ThursDay. The remains of several
old caravansaries, now put to other
purposes, can be seen. Postal services are
provided at both ends of Bazaar-e Reza
during the office hours.
Certain other shopping centers are scattered
in the town: 1) Zist-e Khavar Business
Centre, in Dr Shari'ati Square (Kuh Sangui)
affiliate with Bank-e Tejarat, and in
building considered the most attractive and
the most spectacular shopping centre in the
Middle East; and 2) Shops along Ahmad Abad
Ave, Jannat Ave, Daneshgah Ave, and Modarres
Ave.
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The Nader Shah Mausoleum
The Nader Shah Mausoleum (in Shohada Street,
beginning of Azadi Street) is a curious
piece of architecture completed in 1959,
consisting in a heavy slab of concrete which
forms a crypt and of a colossal bronze group
representing soldiers led to battle by a
sort of an equestrian commander on horseback
(5 meters high and weighing 14,000
kilograms) bearing a turban and a large ax
(Nader Shah). Designed by the late Iranian
sculptor Abolhassan Sadiqi (1897-1995, a
follower of the Master Painter Kamal
ol-Molk) and built in Italy by an Italian
sculptor named Bruni, the composition does
not lack movement. The crypt shelters the
tomb of Nader Shah, who made Mashhad his
capital and operational base for his
campaign against India. A small museum and a
library have been set up nearby: Nader Shah
souvenirs, mainly 18th and 19th century
weapons, helmets and armor (altogether 130
pieces, from Afshar period), and prehistoric
bronze objects unearthed during excavations
in the region. It is open daily from 7:30
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2 to 4:30 p.m.,
except Friday. Tel: (051) 24888.
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Suggest your comments about nearby Sightseeing |
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