Mashhad Bazaar Traditional Crafts Khorasan Region
Explore the Reza Bazaar of Mashhad, the great commercial center adjacent to the shrine where the traditional crafts of Khorasan — turquoise jewelry from Nishapur, silk products, handwoven kilims, and the saffron that makes this region the world's most important spice producer — are available alongside every pilgrim need.
- 1
Reza Bazaar Entrance
Enter the historic Reza Bazaar through its ornate portal where the covered market lanes stretch ahead, the bazaar adjacent to the shrine serving both the everyday needs of Mashhad's permanent population and the pilgrim economy of millions of visitors who purchase religious and regional products here.
- 2
Turquoise Jewelry Section
Visit the turquoise jewelry section where the famous Nishapur turquoise — mined since antiquity in the Khorasan mountains and prized throughout the Islamic world for its distinctive sky-blue color — is set in silver rings, pendants, and bracelets by craftsmen continuing a tradition of turquoise work that predates Islam.
- 3
Khorasan Kilim Weavers
See the Khorasan kilim weavers where the flat-woven rugs with their bold geometric designs in red, blue, and cream represent the nomadic weaving tradition of the tribal peoples of eastern Iran, distinct from the pile-woven carpets of the great Persian urban centers.
- 4
Religious Bookshop District
Walk through the religious bookshop district where printed editions of the Quran, Shia theological texts, books of prayers and supplications, and hagiographies of the imams are displayed, the large market for religious literature reflecting the needs of millions of pilgrims seeking devotional reading material.
- 5
Dried Fruit Merchants
Browse the dried fruit merchants where the products of Khorasan's agricultural abundance — barberries, dried mulberries, raisins, dates, and pistachios — are sold alongside imported products from Afghanistan and Central Asia, the variety reflecting Mashhad's position as the commercial gateway to the eastern Iranian world.
- 6
Silk and Textile Quarter
Explore the silk and textile quarter where fabrics produced in the workshops of Khorasan are sold alongside imported textiles from China, India, and Turkey, the textile trade that made Mashhad a significant commercial center on the Silk Road route between Central Asia and western Persia continuing in modern form.