Mashhad Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
capital city of Razavi Khorasan Province, and second largest city in Iran
About Mashhad
Mashhad started life out as Sanabad, a village pitstop for trade caravans headed towardsTurkmenistan. But in the ninth century, the eighth Shi'ite Imam Ali Bin Moosa Al Reza, the great-grandson of Imam Ali who was the cousin & son in law of Prophet Mohammad was poisoned by the jealous caliph of the time. Imam Reza was buried in Mashhad, and his shrine became one of the holiest sites to the Shi'ite Muslims after the Holy Kaaba in Saudi Arabia and Karbala in Iraq. Over the next thousand years, the shrine complex was levelled, ransacked and rebuilt a number of times depending on the ruling army of the day. Today the shrine is the most important place in the city and in the whole of Iran. Dress code for women is strict, as it is in any part of Iran, however a self encompassing chador is not a
Top Attractions in Mashhad
Explore the best things to see and do in Mashhad:
- ★Carpet Museum
- ★Central Museum
- ★Ferdowsi Park & Mausoleum
- ★Gombade Sabz Mausoleum
- ★Imam Reza Shrine Complex
- ★Nader Shah Park & Mausoleum
- ★Shandiz
- ★Torghabeh
Where to Eat in Mashhad
Must-try local food and restaurants:
- 🍴Hezardestan Traditional Teahouse
Where to Stay in Mashhad
- 🏨Ghasr Talaee international Hotel
- 🏨Hotel Atlas
- 🏨Hotel Atrak
- 🏨Hotel Ferdous
- 🏨Razavieh Grand Hotel
- 🏨Vali's non smoking homestay
Mashhad Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 11 sections including: