Centred on the venerated shrine to the 8^th and 9^th century Imam Reza, Iran’s second largest city Mashhad rises up from the sands in a patchwork of arabesque domes and archways sandwiched between the Binalood and the Hezar Masjed ridges. It’s historical 8^th century core is encompassed by a modern frame of sprawling residential neighbourhoods and unexpected parks, blooming green like a desert oasis amidst the urban fray.

When planning a visit to the Haram complex of the Imam, your Mashhad tour guide will advice you to avoid the booming pilgrimage dates, when even the colossal Ghoharshad Mosque prayer halls (one of the largest of their kind in the world) are packed to bursting point. Elsewhere in the city centre lie the Safavid baths of the 17^th century (now a fantastic museum), bazaars selling carpets and Khorassan crafts, and the Mellat fun park (home to Iran’s answer to the London Eye. A stone’s throw away from the city lies the leafy Ferdowsi Park, along with the honorific tomb of Nadir Shah, with the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan just a bit further ahead within easy reach.