Known as a place of religious pilgrimage, Mashhad is situated in the northeast of Iran. The city is the burial place of Ali al-Rida and hub for trade with the countries bordering eastern
Iran. Situated in between the valley of Kashaf River, the city has something to offer to everyone.
Best Time to Fly
Mashhad is a semi-desert destination and the weather is usually pleasant which makes it around year destination. Hence, you can book your
cheap flights to Mashhad at any time of the year.
Top 5 Attractions in Mashhad
- Goharshad Mosque: Situated in Razavi Khorasan province, the Goharshad Mosque is one of the most popular mosques in Iran. The area of the mosque is 9140 square meters and has a huge azure dome, a courtyard, seven big bed chambers, and four verandas.
Goharshad Mosque was built on the orders of Goharshad (wife of Shahrukh of the Timurid Dynasty) in 1418 CE. The foundation of the mosques is made up of plaster and brick. Because of its structural characteristics, it is one of the most important historical monuments of Iran. It has a public library that has a collection of 34650 books. The old library was situated in the eastern part of Imam Khomeini courtyard and the new library later was inaugurated in 1995 with a volume of 5 million books.
The Islamic architecture of the mosque hosts a million pilgrims annually.
The museum of Holy Shrine which is located on the eastern side of Imam Khomeini courtyard is one of the richest and beautiful museums in Iran. The museum houses some of the unique artifacts including the gravestone of Imam Reza (AS) and tile work with projected motifs called Sanjari tile.
- Water Waves Land: Located in Razavi Khorasan province, Water Waves Land is one of the oldest water parks in Mashhad in terms of expanse and facilities. It’s amazing architecture and design attracts travelers from all around the world. It is also amongst the most perfect water parks around the globe. The park is classified into different parts such as the wave pool, raging rivers, slow and fast slides, the waterfall, the space hole, the black hole, the sauna, and Jacuzzi. The water park follows all the Islamic principles hence, it has a separate area for women. With cheap flights to Mashhad, you can have a fun time with your friends and family. It also has a food court and a coffee shop.
- Tomb of Nader Shah: Designed by Hooshang Seyhoun, Tomb of Nader Shah is one of the prominent attractions of Mashhad. The statue outside the entrance of the tomb is amazing. The tomb has a book shop and two museum halls to make the visit more enjoyable. One of these museums houses many different documents, military assets, and artifacts such as rhino shields and guns used by Nader Shah.
- Anthropology Museum of Mashhad: Located beside the Shrine of Imam Reza, the Anthropology Museum of Mashhad is one of the famous museums in the city. The museum gives an opportunity to get familiar with the culture and heritage of Iranians. The major part of the museum consists of seven smaller sections mostly made of brick. The floor of the museum is equipped with radiant floor heating and also covered with thick stones. This helps in preventing bacterial contamination of the bathroom and protects it from damage due to water penetration.
- Bread Museum of Mashhad:Opened in November 2011, the main aim of the Bread Musem of Mashhad is to promote the use of traditional bread instead of modern bread.
The bread museum is divided into five sections: the entrance hall, the soil area, the fire area, the water area, and the gallery of bread baking stages.
Visitors can see all the stages of bread production here, from the wheat planting to milling to baking through structures. The structure of the museum is inspired by traditional Iranian architecture.
Shopping and Nightlife
Mashhad is a great place for shopping. You can buy a wide variety of things here such as Iranian sweets like Sohaan and Gez, an assortment of salted nuts, saffron, dry fruits, precious stones like turquoise, agates, eighteen-carat gold jewelry, perfumes, trench coats, scarves, carpets, and rugs. A few places from where you can shop are Bazaar-e-Reza, Shargh-Zit- Trade Centre, Proma Trade Centre, Zist Khavar, Kuwaiti Bazaar, Almas-e-Shargh, and Bazaar-e-bozorgh-e-markazy. These places ofeer both variety and value for money.
How to Reach
Shahid Hashmeinejad International Airport is the primary airport in Mashhad. It is the second busiest airport in Iran which connects to 57 destinations with frequent flights to 30 destinations within Iran.
Mashhad International Airport has three terminals: Terminal 1 for domestic
flights, Terminal 2 for international flights, and Terminal 3 is known as Hajj Terminal.
How to Get Around
The metro system in Mashhad is well organized and high quality. There is only one operating line right now and the second one to the Mashhad International Airport is under construction. You can either by a ticket or none-contact cards called “Man Kurt”. The card can also be used to travel through buses.
The buses in the city are quite well and at each bus station, there is a clean wooden bench under the shelter and a map attached to the wall. The only way to travel via bus is by using non-contact cards known as Man Kart.
Bicycling is also one of the best options to get around the city. But women are not allowed to use the bicycle.