Imam Reza Shrine, Mashhad

The journey in one line

One place in Iran. Arriving is the journey.

Mashhad means the place of martyrdom. Ali al-Rida, the eighth Shi'a imam, died here in 818 and the city grew around his grave. The complex is now the largest mosque in the world measured by area, with seven courtyards, a museum, a library, several seminaries and a university inside its walls. Something like twenty million people visit each year. This journey is the one place. It makes no claim about why you went.

For Iranians who cannot reach Makkah, Mashhad is the pilgrimage that is actually available, and for many families it is an annual habit rather than a once in a lifetime trip. The Astan Quds Razavi foundation that runs the shrine is also one of the largest landowners and employers in Iran, which makes the complex an economic institution as much as a religious one.

Mashhad has a large international airport with direct flights from across the region, and the shrine is in the centre of the city. It is open around the clock and busiest on the birth and death anniversaries of the imam. Entry rules for Iran differ sharply by nationality, and some passports need a guide or a tour for the whole visit. Check before booking anything.

Where it goes

The stops, in order

What a visit means here. One visit to the public courtyards and halls of the Imam Reza Shrine complex in Mashhad.

1. 1

   Imam Reza Shrine

   حرم امام رضا

   Mashhad, Iran

   

   Ali al-Rida, the eighth Shi'a imam, is buried at Mashhad, and the shrine complex built around him is the largest mosque in the world by area. It holds a museum, a library, several seminaries and a university, all run by the Astan Quds Razavi foundation. The city exists because of it.

   What counts as a visit

   The shrine courtyards and the public halls of the complex.

   Access

   Iran carries travel advisories for many passports, and entry rules for some nationalities are restrictive. Check your government's current advice and the shrine's own visitor guidance. Checked 2026-09-16.

   Travel advisory

   Check access · last checked September 16, 2026

Respect and access

Women are given a chador at the gate. Cameras and large bags are held at the entrance and the rules vary by courtyard. The inner shrine chamber is dense and emotional. Follow the flow rather than cutting across it, and do not point a lens at anyone praying.

Travel advisory

A government advisory currently applies to this area. Read the current advisory before planning anything.

Opening times, prices, permits and eligibility change. Nothing on this page is a statement about today. Follow the Check access link on a place before you plan around it.

Sources

• news.razavi.irhttps://news.razavi.ir/en/services/1/1 · checked September 16, 2026

TravelDay selected and grouped these places. Naming a custodian, a government agency or UNESCO as a source is not a claim that any of them endorsed this journey.