IMAM REZA'S MAUSOLEUM (HARAM-E MOTAHHAR)

The history of this mausoleum is combined with the establishment and development of the city of Mashhad. Originally, at the beginning of the th century, a first mausoleum was erected by the caliph al-Mamun, subsequently destroyed several times. The current building, the oldest parts of which dates back to the th century, will be rebuilt under the reign of Shah Abbas I (1588-1629). The dome, restored after an earthquake in 1673, is covered with golden copper plates. The mausoleum is flanked by a minaret and a large iwan with blue mosaics.

The interior, a blind room of 9 x 10 m, is illuminated by a massive gold chandelier offered by Shah Rokh in 1418. See ex-voto fixed in walls and coated by Allahverdi Khan of splendid tiles. The funeral stone is housed in a kind of gold cage. The pilgrims, in an indescribable rush, close to the ecstasy, touch or kiss the large links of the mesh where you tie color threads.