Ziaraat e Iran - Mashad

Mashhad
City Significance and History:
Mashhad, Iran's holiest city, is located 850 kilometers North East of Tehran. Back in the 9th century, Imam Reza was poinsoned and martyred in the city. He was the eighth Imam (head spiritual leader) of Shi'ate Islam (Some consider him Imam of all Muslims. His holy position made his tomb a sacred place for pilgrims to worship. Millions of people pay pilgrimage to the holy shrine, undoubtedly the largest and most magnificent of its kind, every year. There are plenty of priceless objects and unique manuscripts in the shrine's library. Mashad is a tourist city with many hotels of various categories as well as a great number of guest houses for the pilgrims who come to this city from the other parts of the country everyday by tens of flights, trains and buses. Before he died, the city was known as Sanabad, a small village in the north of Persia. After his death, pilgrims came and ended up staying in Mashhad. The village grew into a small city because of his shrine. Sunni Muslim forces sacked the city, followed by the Mongols in the 13th century. The shrine was badly damaged and, after time, rebuilt. In the 16th century, three Safavid dynasty rulers established Shi'ite Islam f or the whole territory. The shrine was restored, enlarged, and a Ghoharshad mosque was built. Thes e rulers made pilgrimages to the site and since then it has become the most holy Shi'ite pilgrimage in Iran. Go back to the main page ENTER