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The Holy Precinct
(Harem-e Motahhar)

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Around Mashhad

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Mashhad
(Khorassan Province)

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Tus

The small town of Tus, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) north of Mashhad, was once the regional capital. The Turkish and Monghol invasions, as well as its proximity to the great city of Mashhad, contributed to its decline. Today, it is best known to most Iranians as the hometown of the poet Ferdowsi, the author of the epic Shah-Namah. His mausoleum lies over what is believed to be the exact place of his death. It was built in 1933 to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the poet's death a year later. The overall shape of Ferdowsi's tomb is reminiscent of the Mausoleum of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae, and in a room underneath the tomb, there are a series of modern bas-reliefs illustrating a few episodes from the Shah-Namah.

Tomb of Ferdowsi

Tomb of Ferdowsi
( Photo by Nicol Faridani )

Neishabur (Nishapur)

Neishabur is the earliest known capital of Khorassan, and was once one of the most glorious centres of all Persia. During the Seljuq period, it became a thriving literary, artistic and academic centre. However, this glorious period in Neishabur's history was short lived and the city fell rapidly into decline in the 12th century after a series of disasters befell it. Invasions by Turkish tribes, internal wars, earthquakes, and finally the catastrophic arrival of the Mongol troops in 1221 who massacred the cities entire population, all contributed to its decline. Neishabur was later rebuilt but it never regained its former position.

Tomb of Omar Khayyam

Tomb of Omar Khayyam
( Photo by Nicol Faridani )

Tomb of Attar

Tomb of Attar
( Photo by Nicol Faridani )

Today, Neishabur is a small provincial town and is famous for having been the hometown of the poet, astronomer and mathematician Omar Khayyam (1048 - c.1125). Among the handful of tombs in the outskirts of Neishabur, the most famous is that of Omar Khayyam. It was built in 1934 in the gardens of the imamzadeh Mohammad Mahruq.

Other famous men buried at Neishabur include the 13th century Sufi poet Attar-od-Din and the 20th century poet Kamal-ol-Molk (died in 1938).

 

Mashhad (Khorassan Province)

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