No driving today! Took a taxi into town (in a near collision the driver decided to put on his seat belt) & first visited the Nader Shah Mausoleum. Nader Shah was a tyrant who scattered the Afghans, Russians & Turkish forces encroaching from the north in the 1720’s.Apparently he was a war loving mercenary & invaded India
Next we went to the Haram (a Holy Shrine complex) commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Reza. As well as millions of pilgrims visiting the site annually, honeymooners apparently come here who believe sharing it with the Imam will bless their marriage. To enter the ladies had to don a chador & go through a green curtain to be frisked. The men went into a separate entrance & were also frisked. Most of the ladies were dressed in black from head to toe and many were curious about us and tried to communicate. Inside the complex was an amazing array of dazzling shrines in gold & silver with crystal chandeliers. Very holy places to the locals as Mashad is the holiest city in Iran.
Next stop was the Bazaar. Two floors of materials, saffron, dried fruits, etc. There were also a lot of jewellery stores. Yesterday we came through Neishabur where turquoise is mined. Lots of nice stones but the settings were a bit blingy. The Bazaar was around 1km long and I think we visited every jewellery store, but nothing took herselfs fancy.
As there was a wedding in the hotel (we didn’t see the bride but the entrance was decked out in a long line of beautiful floral arrangements for her to walk through), we went to a restaurant in the nearby gardens. Cross-legged on raised platforms with carpets & cushions. Lots of flat breads, yoghurts, olives & kebabs.
Another good feed !!!
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