Mashad

Travel Stories - Iran

The “hell” ride to Mashad

I'm waiting for a bus from Yazd to Mashad with a Japanese tourist. chaos, unclearness which only get worse when times passes by. An hour later (than scheduled) the bus finally arrives. A young man from the bus company helps me with the ticket number of my ticket and walks all the way to the back of the bus. On the back seat in the middle is No. 41 he says. But I did NOT order this place when I made a reservation three days ago.

All places in the bus are better than this one; I’m probably the tallest in the bus and got the worst spot. This is the only place which is still available he says and walks off. Four young guys are sitting among me to make things even worse. Telephones rinkle, music is turned on, the guys talking very loud and the seats are not fixed and fall off every time. And this ride will take about 14 to 15 hours! A family is sitting just before us and while the kids are screaming the father is eating his bird seeds and throwing those on the floor when finished.

While the bus is puffing forwards with a speed of an average of 30 km an hour, trucks passing us by, the driver is constantly on his cellphone and the bus stops regularly without reason. Suddenly we stop – it’s about half 10 in the evening and you think we stop at a restaurant so everybody can have some diner. Not in Iran – there’s nothing – locals get off the bus and people put little carpets on the pavement and have a picnick. Back in the bus I put my sarong behind my head, my fleece on top of my face and I try to sleep a bit.

Arrival at "Valli"

It’s nine o’clock and we arrive after 15 hours bussing at Mashhad's immense bus station. Together with my Japanese friend I take our bags out of the cargo space and walk to the terminal. Sitting on the iron bench I realize I never actually paid for the bus ride - normally I would feel guilty but because they never made my reservation I’m not.

We will take a taxi and drive to our intended hostel. On the top of a garage door is the name of the hostel written in green. We knock on the door, walk down a sloping piece of concrete with a large carpet on which countless shoes pairs stand and pull the curtain aside; In an old garage box there are 6 beds in a full room full of wall carpets with six faces looking at us.

The hostel is actually full, even the bed posted outside, but we can still sleep on the porch. No discount because it is high season and all beds in the city are sold out. If the sun is less bright, I'm walking on the streets - I'm starving and I met two of the Japanese who sleep also in my hostel; in the bunker down in the garage. I accompany them with an ice cream rosewater that is actually rice water ("fereni") and a "shir" with banana and nutmeg (milkshake).

Breakfast in bed

This morning I heard the Japanese and German boy leave for Turkmenistan, but after that, I went back to sleep. In the morning, I wake up outside on the porch and look around me - the Taiwanese is already out of bed and there is another Asian boy in the place of "Vali". In the garden below is the Japanese boy and I remember a conversation between them - they did not want to sleep in the same bed next toe ach other.

The Chinese boy is lying on a single bed. So, 5 men and Vali have probably slept outside in the garden somewhere and the dormitory was full. A roll of plastic is placed on the carpets on the porch and then Valli is putting out three big breads. There is butter and two kinds of cheese and a little bit of jam. Natural tea but also a little bit of yogurt and a glass of milk! Finally, we get a piece of omelet. Just before leaving, "Vali" gives another glass of herbal tea for us.

History - Mashhad

The city's origins are unclear, but the city only began to grow after Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of the Twelve Shiites, was buried there. Mashhad literally means place of martyrs. His grave grew into pilgrimage and drew many pilgrims. In the centuries after the city's construction, the city was destroyed many times, but it was rebuilt over and over again.

At the time of Ilkanaat, the Mongol Empire in Persia, the city expanded to the main city of Khorasan. Shah Rukh, the son of Timor Lenk, who destroyed it, built the Reza mausoleum afterwords. After this the city was conquered and destroyed by Sunni Uzbek. With the emergence of the Safawids dynasty, which made shiism the state religion, Mashhad became truly an important city. Under their leadership, various buildings were built in Mashhad. In 1722, the city, like other parts of Iran, was conquered by Afghans.

After the Afghans expelled, the city remained under Iranian rule. In 1839, the Allahdad incident occurred against the Jewish people of the city. Sjah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, during a demonstration of citizens who demonstrated the right to wear religious clothes, commanded them to shoot. Hundreds of civilians came about and contributed largely to the dissatisfaction that later led to the Iranian Revolution.

A number of times, by law, numerous irreligious buildings have been demolished around the hamam because of expansion. During the Iraq-Iran war in the 80's, the city expanded to the second of the country because of its location that was far from the front line.

Imam Reza (part I) - the changing rooms

I walk through the long Imam Khomeini street and notice the large number of chadors and mullahs. It's still quite a walk and I can not remember that there is something else to see in the city besides a visit to the mausoleum. I end up at a huge roundabout where i’ts crowded with a large amount of people - I try to figure out the best route from here to the mausoleum which is visible from here.

Between the arches are small boxes next to each other - these are dressing rooms where women get checked. There are also different kinds of luggage rooms – for men and women. And then there are the real entrances – also different ones for men and women Ofcourse I’m stopped at the gates and some telephone-calls are made immediately. I already knew you can not take a camera with you, but strangely enough cellphones are allowed (and you can also take some pictures here) - I'll try it.

A young man approach me and speaks fluent English - he is my mandatory but free guide for today. I give him my camera and bag. Hundreds of police officers (undercover mostly) walk around here and the moment you grap you’re camera they will come and tell you to put it away. There are also tens of hundreds of securitycameras hanging around to secure the whole complex. My guide takes me to a hall where people are praying and I have to take off my shoes. Suddenly an elderly man gets up and shake my hand - this is apparently the real guide.

The man lived for years in the United States and has a strange Iranian American accent. He tells me to hurry up a bit because at twelve o'clock begins prayer and then we can’t walk freely anymore because of all the fuss.

Imam Reza (II) - the courtyards

The entire complex contains of 8 courtyards, and these are built around the holiest of the holiest; the place where the body of the eighth "imam" has been since the year 828. You see women walking with carnations and it seems today to be a holiday. There must be thousands of people inside and it looks like I'm the only Western tourist.

My guide talks and informs me about the history of the complex and wha’ts going on while I try to observ the whole thing. A forest of domes, arches, blue tiles, big ribbons with lights on it, minarets and many new buildings on large squares with many rolls of red carpet.The carpets, now still on the side, will be used later on to pray on.

My guide explains that every year millions of pilgrims come here to pray. It’s also possible to get burried closeby the dead imam. You have to pay dearly for this privilege. I think we made a big loop aroudn the big mosque where I’m not allowed as a non-moslim. I wonder by the way how they know I’m not a moslim when you tell them you are. We see a big courtyard full of people and a huge golden dome. My guide assures me this is pure gold. He explains that in the past people could sleep here on the floor which is nowadays forbidden because of the high crime rate.

Because of it there is always a lack of beds for pelgrims in the city. Yes, that’s an understatement.

Imam Reza (Part III) - Eighth World Wonders

But why is this imam so important I ask him; this is the eighth he tells and the only one buryed in Iran. My guide explains that there were twelve imams in total after Mohammed had died. Then he tells me that about half of these group are buried in Iraq and the other half in Saudi Arabia; one in Iran, so this place is so important - so it is the "Santiago de Compostela" for Muslims I conclude.

Women are indeed crying and I also hear people screaming – for me very strange to see people so sad for somebody who’s been dead for 12 centuries. I know he was executed by the old king who was first his friend but was aware of the fact that the imam became more and more popular with the population and that he became a martyr. I ask my guide why the guards walk so carefully with a bright green "toilet brush" - very simply he says - men should not touch women so the brush is used as a marker you can’t miss.

We have almost come to the end of the tour, which has gone too quickly for me – we really never stopped for a moment to look around which was a shame. On the other hand – I’ve seen one of the Islamic wonders of the world. I have one last question; and ask him who’s paying him. The man laughs and says that that’s something I shouldn’t worry about – million of euro’s coming in here he explains - through the money paid for graves, commerce but mainly through donations.

Remember, he says that about 20 million people a year come here for the grave of the imam alone. As we walk past a construction pit, it looks like there is a new courtyard next year. I thank the man and pick up my bag. I doubt if I will take a taxi ride under the mausoleum as this is a separate experience but I decide to go back to the hostel.

My departure

It's almost twelve o'clock when people come in floods out of the complex - at least it seems like that; tulips, beads chains, chador's, and they all go to the mausoleum. I take another route and peep into a cool shopping mall and order a "shir" (milkshake) banana. The dinner consists of "lentil soup" before "estomboli-poli" and also (finally) "fesemjun", the walnut sauce I've been waiting to eat for weeks.

The new boy that just arrived in the hostel has got no idea that it isn’t allowed to enter the building (where the owner and his wife lives) - women are not a problem, but Vali's wife is very religious and must get her veil every time. In the evening I say goodbye and take the bus to the train station. A little later I'm going to the right platform to get in on the train. Immediately in the coupe (I'm again the first) I pull out my shoes and socks, grab my big clothes bag and throw my bag in the luggage space above the hallway.

A little later, a friendly family comes in consisting of a father, mother and son. Only the boy speaks a little English which is more than enough We share a cup of tea and I put my biscuits in my bag for tomorrow morning. As the train leaves (20:40) I start to read my new book. I brush my teeth and make myself ready for the night. Out of the big bag I get a pillow and take the sheets. Then I get up and listen in the dark (the family goes to bed early) to some music. Just over eleven I press my earbuds in my ear and go to sleep.

tips & advice (2014)

The train station is located on the north side of the city center, about a kilometer from the Haram area. About 3 km south of this area is the bus station. We pay 50,000 IRR with 2 boys including big bags for a taxi ride from the station to our hostel (see below).

Near the intersection of the hostel (see below) on Imam Khomeini street you can take bus 37 towards the train station. This takes about 10 to 15 minutes and you can get off just in front of the station. At 19:00 there is definitely a bus which will allow you to arrive on the station in time.

Mashad - Tehran: The train leaves daily at 20:30 and will arrive in the capital around 8 o'clock in the morning. Price: 550.000 IRR.

TIP:

Train travel in Iran is the best and most comfortable travel - for this reason, everyone (local and tourist) prefer to travel by train and especially long distances. It is therefore wise to book as soon as possible. There is a small travel agency in a street near the hostel (see hostel) that can arrange a train ticket for you.

Name: Vali's non smoking homestay

Address: 6th lane of Enqelabe Eslami street, house no. 277

Price: 300,000 (dormitory)

Phone nr. : 8516980/09151001324

E-mail: vali32@imamreza.net

Content:

It is located between the train and bus station around 2 kilometers from the shrine of Imam Reza but is quite difficult to find. At the end of the alley near the metro station "Imam Khomeini" is a white garage door. On the wall it says "Vali's guesthouse".

Call the door and you enter an old but spacious garage box that has been transformed into a dormitory. Six beds, one double, two fans and a shower / WC. Unfortunately, there is no refrigerator and the toilet is a little dirty. The shower is fine. Outside in the L-courtyard is another toilet. Here there are a lot of carpets in a corner (Vali, the owner is also a carpet salesman and guide) in addition to the host owner.

There is another double bed and a 1 person in the garden for use. In addition, you can sleep on the terrace underneath a sheltered awning. Breakfast is 2 dollars, dinner 5 dollars extra. Vali is a source of information, an elderly charming guy who speaks perfect English and has traveled a lot. Sometimes he misses the old life but is very busy with this full-time job.