Imam Reza Shrine
The religious and urban centre of Mashhad. The courtyards are for pilgrimage, not a ticketed museum, and some gates slow down on holy days.
Places
Mashhad and the near surroundings
Pilgrimage, history, parks, neighbourhoods, the western valleys, the airport, and the trips that need a day of their own.
Relative map
Imam Reza ShrineGoharshad MosqueAstan Quds museumsReza BazaarPir-e PalandouzNader Shah MausoleumGonbad-e SabzKhajeh RabiKhajeh AbasaltKoohsangiGreat Khorasan MuseumMellat ParkVakilabad ParkGolestan DamTorghabehShandizKang villageJagharqZoshkHaft HowzAhmadabadSajjadVakilabad ZooWave LandHasheminejad AirportShirbad piste
The dots are relative and are not for navigation. Ferdowsi’s tomb, Harounieh, Akhlamad waterfall, Kalat and the Sun Palace sit outside this frame because they are farther from the city.
Imam Reza ShrineCentral MashhadGoharshad MosqueInside the shrineAstan Quds museumsInside the shrineReza BazaarNear the shrinePir-e PalandouzNear the shrineNader Shah MausoleumCity centreGonbad-e SabzOld quarterFerdowsi’s tombTusHarouniehTusKhajeh RabiNorth MashhadKhajeh AbasaltSouth MashhadKoohsangiSouth of the cityGreat Khorasan MuseumKoohsangiMellat ParkVakilabad BoulevardVakilabad ParkWest MashhadGolestan DamThe western roadTorghabehWestern valleyShandizWest, after TorghabehKang villageWest, above the valleyJagharqWestZoshkBinalud slopesHaft HowzSoutheastAkhlamad waterfallChenaranKalat and the Sun PalaceNortheastAhmadabadWest of the centreSajjadWestVakilabad ZooVakilabadWave LandVakilabad axisHasheminejad AirportSoutheastShirbad pisteBinalud
Nothing matched that phrase.
Goharshad Mosque
A Timurid mosque inside the shrine, commissioned by Goharshad. It has no separate street ticket.
Astan Quds museums
Qurans, carpets, gifts and historic objects inside the complex. Their hours are not the same as the courts, which stay open through the night.
Reza Bazaar
The covered souvenir bazaar near the shrine: saffron, rock candy, dried fruit, turquoise and prayer stones. No fixed city price is stated here.
Pir-e Palandouz
A small tiled tomb in the old centre, separate from the scale of the shrine, and a reasonable stop on foot.
Nader Shah Mausoleum
An Afsharid tomb, garden and museum in the middle of the city, with the equestrian statue of Nader by Abolhassan Sadighi.
Gonbad-e Sabz
A historic dome in the old fabric of the city. Smaller than the shrine and Nader Shah, and not a half-day on its own.
Ferdowsi’s tomb
The tomb of the Shahnameh poet in Tus, outside the main fabric of Mashhad. Today’s stone monument is by Houshang Seyhoun, and Harounieh is nearby.
Harounieh
An old brick building beside Tus. Its exact use is debated by historians, and it is best seen with Ferdowsi’s tomb.
Khajeh Rabi
An octagonal Safavid tomb in the north of the city, with tilework, and quieter than the centre.
Khajeh Abasalt
The tomb of Abu Salt Heravi in the south of the city. It is not the same place as Khajeh Rabi in the north.
Koohsangi
A hill, rock and a view over the south of the city. Evenings are clearer and busier. The Great Khorasan Museum is nearby.
Great Khorasan Museum
A contemporary museum of the region’s history, beside Koohsangi. Do not confuse it with the museums inside the shrine.
Mellat Park
A city park on Vakilabad Boulevard, before Vakilabad Park itself. For a bicycle, a seat, and a stop inside the city.
Vakilabad Park
The large park at the western end of the city: a stream, plane trees and paths. The zoo in the same area has a separate entrance.
Golestan Dam
A dam and a stop on the way to Torghabeh. It is a midpoint, not a separate plan if the valley is your destination.
Torghabeh
A small town in the western valley. The air is cooler than the centre. Walking, cafés and the chairlift are here, not on a Mashhad street.
Shandiz
Beyond Torghabeh, known for kebab and garden restaurants. This guide does not reserve a table.
Kang village
A stepped village west of Mashhad. The roof of each house is the yard of the one above. Come for the fabric, not for bulk shopping.
Jagharq
A village and gardens in the west, lower and usually gentler than the lanes of Kang.
Zoshk
A higher village toward Binalud. Quieter than the Shandiz restaurant strip, and its road should be taken seriously.
Haft Howz
Both the name of a southeastern neighbourhood and a mountain walk of stone basins. Slippery after rain.
Akhlamad waterfall
A waterfall and a rocky valley near Chenaran, northwest of Mashhad. The water changes with the season and spring is usually better.
Kalat and the Sun Palace
A wall-like valley in the northeast and the Sun Palace, from Nader’s era. It does not combine with a city tour.
Ahmadabad
A shopping and meeting axis west of the centre. Books, clothes and cafés are here, not a pilgrimage monument.
Sajjad
A shopping district calmer than Ahmadabad, on the city’s western side.
Vakilabad Zoo
Inside the Vakilabad Park area, with an entrance separate from the park walk. Ask hours and tickets that day.
Wave Land
A known water park on the Vakilabad axis. Ask the session and the season that day. This site has no discount on the ticket.
Hasheminejad Airport
Mashhad’s airport, southeast of the city. Metro line 1 runs toward it, but with a lot of luggage a taxi is sometimes simpler.
Shirbad piste
A piste in the Binalud heights, near the western valleys. Without that week’s snow it has no point.