Tomb of Sheikh Bahai
One of the greatest scholars of all time, Sheikh Bahai was born in the city of
Baalbek in the present-day Lebanon, then part of the Ottoman empire. The pivotal
event in the life of Sheikh Bahai was the emigration of his family to Iran when
he was a child. They settled in the city of Qazvin, the royal capital at the
time and one of the centers of Iranian scholarship. He completed his studies in
Qazvin and later in Isfahan and started a long journey in the course of which he
visited countries as remote as Syria and Egypt. When he finally returned to
Isfahan he had added a precious life experience to his boundless well of
theoretical knowledge. He was now ready to start his career as a major
philosopher, mathematician, astrologist, architect and above all a superb
teacher. Mullah Sadra the illustrious Iranian philosopher who is generally
considered one of the greatest figures of Eastern thought was Sheikh Bahai’s
most famous student. Sheikh Bahai was a true polymath. In architecture he was
extremely influential and is revered all through the country (his birthday is
the National Architect Day in Iran). The design of some of the masterpieces of
Safavid architecture has been attributed to Sheikh Bahai. These include the
glorious monuments of Naqsh-e Jahan square and many other structures such as
bridges and canals. He has also many important works in astronomy and
mathematics. He has touched on such revolutionary ideas such as the movement of
earth long before his western counterparts. Sheikh Bahai was also an adept man
of letter. He has composed numerous verses in Persian and Arabic. Finally, after
decades of assiduous scholarship and untiring teaching, Sheikh Bahai surrendered
to the old age and illness. He died in Isfahan but to respect his will, his
students took his body to
Mashhad and buried him in
Imam Reza’s Shrine. The
beautiful chamber that contains
Sheikh Bahai’s tomb is adorned with stunning
glasswork and impressive works of calligraphy. We have written at length about
the golden shrine of Ali ibn Musa ar-Riḍa in Mashhad. The enormous complex is
considered the largest praying area in the world. It contains seminaries,
museums and a number of spectacular historic monuments including the bedazzling
Goharshad Mosque. The shrine and its surrounding historic sites are the most
visited of
Mashhad tourist attractions. One reason for its immense popularity is
that most tourists lodge in
Mashhad hostels and hotels near the shrine. The
short distance hugely facilitates the transportation of the tourists in
Mashhad
day tours. But not all
Mashhad tours organize their packages around the
world-famous golden shrine. Natural attractions around Mashhad attract thousands
of eager nature-lovers to the bounteous Khorasan province. Chalidarreh and
Shirbad are two prime destinations of nature tours. The latter is a beautiful
region with a lake and lots of entertainment facilities and the latter is the
only ski resort in the east Iran.
Chalidarreh
34 km away from Mashhad lies one of the most popular weekend spots in Khorasan.
Chalidarreh is a beautiful valley in the east of Mashhad with a wide array of
sights and entertainment facilities. A taxi ride from Mashhad to Chalidarreh
shouldn’t cost you more than 12 USD. Beside the typical activities such as
fishing and boating, you can ride up the mountain in an amazing chairlift. There
is also a bungee jumping center for those of you who want a peek into the life
of a daredevil!
Shirbad Ski Resort
Shirbad Ski
Resort is the leisure hub of Razavi Khorasan Province during the
winter. Located in Binaloud mountains, the resort is a fantastic spot for all
kinds of snow entertainment. To reach the site of the resort, you will need to
drive for 65 kilometers. A taxi ride will cost you around 25 USD. If you don’t
have ski gears you shouldn’t worry since there is a ski rental with all types of
equipment where you can rent full ski gears for a very reasonable price.
4/23/2018 7:28:28 AM
