Mashhad

The shrine of Imam Reza in the city center of Mashhad – Khorasan Razavi province of Iran – is the shrine of Ali ibn Musa al-Rida, which is sacred to Shia and Sunni Muslims. The holy shrine includes mosques, tombs, porches, courtyards, libraries and museums. The structures of this holy shrine have existed since the pre-Safavid & Timurid era, but during the King Tahmaseb Safavi’s reign, several activities were carried out to expand the whole shrine. Therefore, this sacred place is a mighty museum of Iranian architecture. The earliest parts of the shrine dates back to the 610 decade of Islamic (Lunar) Calendar (1230 Gregorian Calendar).

Since the Timurid era, along with the renovation of many ancient monuments in Khorasan – Tus, Harat and Neishabur – a Special attention was paid to this site. Several buildings of the shrine have remained from the Safavid epoch, Particularly in Shah Tahmasb Safavi’s reign. The extent of the shrine during these renovations has increased from its previous 12 thousand square meters to its current area (about 1 million square meters) & made it to one of the largest religious places in the worldwide.

Seminary School of Abbas Gholi Khan Shamloo was built by Abbas Gholi Khan Biglarbeigi & with the command of Shah Soleiman Safavi in the 1045 Solar Hijri Calendar. The school, which is listed in Iran’s National Heritage List, is located at the beginning of Safavi street. It is now used as a theological school.

The school building is built on 2 floors & on four sides with four porches in Safavid style architecture that accommodates more than 100 room within it. The school is made of brick & has decorations such as tiling and Mogharnas on the entrance of porches & rooms. This school is one of the Mashhad’s architectural works which is under the supervision of Khorasan Cultural Heritage Organization.

The tomb of Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi is located in the middle of a beautiful garden in the Mashhad northwest. The current building of the Ferdowsi tomb & Toos Museum is inspired by the Achaemenid’s architecture style – especially the tomb of Cyrus – & were commissioned by the National Monuments Commission began on 1343 with the supervision of engineer Houshang Seyhoun & completed in 1347.

The building’s exterior includes Achaemenid ornamental elements – particularly columns and headstones –     And poems written on the four sides of it by the wise Ferdowsi which representing his thought and personality. The upper part is built hollow & it’s interior is inspired by Parthian architecture which includes 20 marble columns at the bottom and 8 columns at the upper part. In some parts of the tomb, there are several wall paintings by Fereydoon Sedighi that shows scenes from Shahnameh narratives.

Koohsangi Park is the second largest park (After Melat Park) in Mashhad. The park is located in the Mashhad’s southwest & at the end of Koohsangi Street. Koohsangi Park is located on the border of the high mountains & is one of the oldest villages in Mashhad. KoohSangi is oldest park among all of the resorts in Mashhad & is one of the most beautiful parks that built in Iran. The park is a blend of water, stone, and light.

In 1340 due to the expansion of Mashhad city, Koohsangi was connected, through a wide and wide street, called KoohSangi, to the Mashhad city. With the development plans of Mashhad, KoohSangi Park became a tourist recreational complex.

The Mashhad’s Goharshad Mosque was built on south of the shrine of Ali ibn Musa al-Rida with the command of Shahrokh’s wife (Goharshad Beigom). Due to the elegance and beauty of the tile works and Goharshad Mosque’s architecture, this mosque was one of the masterpieces of Iranian architecture in the Timurid era; Due to the endowments close to the tomb of Ali ibn Musa al-Rida, GoharShad mosque is one of the most important and crowded mosques in Iran & some consider it as the most visited mosque in Iran. The name of Goharshad is written in two places on the tiles:

one on the top of the silver door that goes to Dar Al-Siyadeh & the other one on the inscription of Ivan Maghsureh which written with the beautiful handwriting of the prince Baysunghur. In the middle section, there is also an inscription on behalf of Mohammad Reza Emami. The way which mosque built on is a four-porch style & The dome has been repaired four times over the years. The architectural style of this building is Timurid style & it’s architect was Qavamuddin Shirazi. Goharshad Mosque is a classic four-porch mosque. The courtyard of the mosque is almost squared form & around there are four large historic porches, seven wide seraglio & six the entrance and exit door in it

Nader Shah Afshar’s tomb is a building which was built in memory of Nader Shah in Mashhad. Qavam Al Saltanah – in the late Qajar (1296 Solar Calendar) er – built a new tomb for him at the site of one of the Naderi’s destroyed tombs & transferred his bones from Tehran to the determined tomb. This small tomb was built near the Chahar Bagh of Imam Reza’s shrine with clay on 1145 Islamic (Lunar) Calendar.

The new building, which was located at the current location of his tomb, was set up in that place for sometimes until the Iranian National Monuments Association was pursuing for building a suitable tomb in the same place of the Qavam Al Saltanah’s tomb. It started in 1336 and ended in year 1342.

Mehdi Gholibeik’s bath linked to the Safavid era & is located at the beginning of the Grand Bazaar, next to the Shah Mosque. This Building has been registered as one of Iran’s national monuments on 5th of Ordibehesht 1356 (May 21, 2009). In the Mashhad city & in the big bazaar’s row near the today’s 72 tan (Haftad o do tan) mosque & the old bathing space of Mehdi Qoli Beik, there is the mosque building known as the Timurid’s emir mosque which was built in 1027 (lunar year).

This bathroom is a collection of numerous spaces & it’s largest and most beautiful part is the porch of the bathroom with eight columns and decorations.