HARUNIYE – THE TOMB OF HARUN AL- RASHID RA

Ṭūs is a relatively little town about 40km’s northwest of the large city of Mashhad. It doesn’t have much to offer save for being the resting place of two important personalities in the history of Islam. It was a splendid city in its day and was captured by Alexander in 330BCE. It sadly didn’t survive the destruction of the Mongols in the 13^th century and was left in ruins never to reach its former glory again.
The Haruniye Tomb is the burial site of the famous Abbasid ruler Harun al-Rashid. His rule which lasted for over three decades will always be remembered for Muslim world dominance in terms of culture, education and economics.
In the autumn of 808CE, while on his way to personally deal with a serious two-year-old revolt in Khorāsān (Iran), Hārūn fell ill at Ṭūs and passed away there several months later. The tomb was built in the late 8^th century and when compared to the glittering tombs in Mashhad, is more modest in its appearance.

KASHAN BAZAAR

One of the entrances to the bazaar Kashan’s historic bazaar is one of the best in Iran. Described as being ‘large enough to surprise but not to get lost in’, it stocks a variety of goods ranging from traditional to modern. Amazingly, the site has been the centre of...

ABYANEH VILLAGE

Homes in Abyaneh The picturesque village of Abyaneh sits at the foot of Karkass Mountain, 70km south-east of Kashan in the province of Isfahan. The village is believed to be around 1500 years old making it one of the oldest surviving villages in the country. Abyaneh...

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRAN

Interior of the Museum The institution which is around 70 years old contains approximately 300 000 artefacts. It is the largest in the country and also one of the few prestigious museums of the world with regard to grand volume, diversity and quality of its artefacts....