Al Mahdi Mosque & Cultural Center

Guys,Sorry for my one day absence.The university days is started and I can not sleep enough.Sometimes it made me tired and sick and I just tolerate all this just because I love my major!

Al Mahdi mosque and cultural center is located in my university;"Azad University of Mashhad"
The building is designed by one of MA students of Art & Architectural factually.Since it is forbidden to take photo in the university place,I could not to take better shots.

Almas-e-Shargh Shopping Center

Almas-e-Shargh or Diamond of the East is a big unique shopping center in Mashhad with 650000 square meters area in 5 floors.This great and beautiful center is designed by an Iranian famous architect " Khalil Sohrabian" and is included many facilities such as restaurant,coffee shop.amusing park,a 27000 square meters parking,gym,net cafe,wireless Internet and etc.Look at the dome,It shines like a real diamond!

Kian Center

A new shopping center in our neighbourhood :) , Last night I took this photo while Dad was driving!
Kian center is a hypermarket & KFC Fast food & shopping center & Import/Export Trade Leads - Global Trade Business Opportunity Services .

A view of Old Mashhad

A shot of Old Mashhad near Imam Reza holy shrine.Most of the building near here are old and the government try to bye and destroy them and build new constructions instead.The designs have to follow the Islamic style that you see in the photo.Architects and engineers won't be allowed to use modern concepts and architecture near the holy shrine.

This photo is taken by one of my university friends, "Danial Rezazadeh" .Thanks Danial!

The Rose Flower

Yesterday, while I was watering the trees and flowers in our yard,I saw this beautiful Rose flower between all plants there.It is like the sun!

By the way, If you like to be informed for my updates,Please subscribe to the blog.I attached its element to the blog.

Wall Of The Mud House

My eyes always search the environment to find a scenery for Sketching or Photographing.

You'll never see me without my Sketch pad,a pen and my camera .Today's picture is the result of my recent Searches !An old Light on a Mud wall in a far village!! It is so impressive,yeah?

My Sketch (I put it for you Dina!)

A Playful Butterfly

As much as I tried to take her photo,she was shaking her wings more and it is the reason that the picture is a little blur!

Today;I should thank to my new friend from AVT Coach.In her yesterday post, She introduced Mashhad Daily Photos as one of her 3 top sites with a lovely description about it.

Thank you my friends for your visits and comments.Today is the second day of autumn and our university and schools have started their new semester.I am going to be busy by my lessons and projects like 3 month ago.So,please forgive me that I do not have much free time to visit your blogs and take comments as much as before.I try to do that at weekends.Mashhad Daily Photos will be updated every day regularly.

Wish you a nice season :)

A mosque under repairing

This is an old Mosque near Imam Reza holy shrine that I am not sure about its name.As you see It is surrounded by fences because of some repairing.So I could not take better shots and get information about it.

Tile works are the most important characteristic of Islamic architecture in Iran.Once time I visited the big Tile Factory of Astan-Qods-e-Razavi in Mashhad and I saw how much it is difficult to produce such art works.The guide told me "we need 10 workers in a day to produce just 1 meter of these tiles .

As a Iranian girl , I really proud of this old unique art!

The Last Day of Summer

Today is the last day of summer, but it seems the trees in my photos are still green!
Notice to the first picture ! I found a rhythm between the trees. It is like a song...

Laylat al-Qadr

Qur'an 97, 1-5)
In the name of God, the Benevolent, the Merciful.
1 Lo! We revealed it on the Night of Predestination.
2 Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is!
3 The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.
4 The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees.
5 (The night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn.



Last Night was Laylat al-Qadr,Laylat al-Qadr is the anniversary of the night Muslims believe the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel (Jibril in Arabic). It is also the anniversary of the night in which the Qur'an is believed by Muslims to have been revealed in its entirety. The Laylat al -Qadr can also be known as the night of excellence.



The verses above regard the Night as better than one thousand months. The whole month of Ramadan is a period of spiritual training wherein believers devote much of their time to fasting, praying, recitating the Qur'an, remembering God, and giving charity. However because of the revealed importance of this night, Muslims strive harder in the last ten days of Ramadan since the Laylat al-Qadr could be one of the odd-numbered days in these last ten (the first, third, fifth, or seventh). Normally, Muslims would perform an i'tikaf in the mosque (i.e they remain in the mosque for the last ten days at a strech) for prayers and recitation.


For more information about this holy night , please click here.

Skywatch : The Colorful Kite

Persian Carpet Store

The art of carpet weaving existed in Iran in ancient times, according to evidences and in the opinion of scientists. An example of such evidences is the 2500-year-old Pazyryk carpet dating back to 500 B.C., during the Achaemenid period.
The first documented evidence on the existence of Persian carpets came from Chinese texts dating back to the Sassanid period (224 - 641 CE).

This art underwent many changes in various eras of the Iranian history to an extent that it passed an upward trend before the Islamic era until the Mongols invasion of Iran. After the invasion, the art began to grow again during the reign of the Mongol dynasties of Timurid and Ilkhanid.

With the passage of time, the materials used in carpets, including wool, silk and cotton, decay. Therefore archeologists are rarely able to make any particularly useful discoveries during archaeological excavations. What has remained from early times as evidence of carpet-weaving is nothing more than a few pieces of worn-out carpets. Such fragments do not help very much in recognizing the carpet-weaving characteristics of pre-Seljuk period (13th and 14th centuries AD) in Persia.
Reference : Wikipedia

In the past posts,You saw one kind of Persian carpet in my photo.Now in today's picture you can also see a Persian carpet store.There are many big carpet shops here in Mashhad which sell the most luxurious and expensive carpets.If you want to know more , please click here.

Childhood Memories

Yesterday, I found a box in the store. Yes, the box of my childhood memories, a box full of dolls!
I always try to keep them alive. My childhood memories; my eternal childhood memories!

PROMA Shopping center

You may saw the exterior view of PROMA shopping center in Meead's earlier posts.one of the best shopping centers in the city, with a lot of luxurious shops selling and expensive brands.It is located near our house.So most of the time I prefer to by my needs from there.The way that I can save my time and enjoy my shopping!

The Last Day

Goodbye mom and dad; Goodbye my only brother; Goodbye my family and friends

Goodbye Mashhad; Goodbye Iran
I love you and will miss you. I'll come back soon.



Here is the sparkle of god throne, take off your hat.
Here is the mausoleum of the master of Toos, prone on the ground.

Here is the Mount Sinai, take off your shoes.
Here is the tomb of Ferdowsi, kiss the earth.

Thank you all my friends for your visits and comments during the past few months. Today I and my parents will travel to Tehran and stay there for a few days until Friday. Then I'll fly to the US. Sara will keep posting more photos of Mashhad from tomorrow. Now Mashhad Daily Photos is completely hers. You can check Portland Daily Photos on Friday night to see my first glance on my new home. I may stay in Portland until 2010-11.

Moon at Sunday

Click to enlarge to see more of the black/gray terrains on the moon

Sanabad Street

Today is the last Saturday. Thank you my friends for your kind comments and sorry for not visitng your blogs for a few days. I'm busy these days with getting ready for my big trip. Portland Daily Photos will start working on Friday, September 19. Sara will keep Mashhad Daily Photos alive and active during my long absence. She will start posting her photos on Tuesday, September 16. I'll support her with my visits and comments.

In the beginning of the 9th century, Mashhad was a small village called Sanabad. It was not considered a great city until Mongol raids in 1220 which caused the destruction of many large cities in the Greater Khorasan territories, leaving this place relatively intact. Thus the survivors of the massacres migrated to Mashhad and it became larger.

Sanabad Street, which is one the most famous and oldest streets, is the original place of the old Sanabad village in this city.

Last Friday: So Close, So Far

It's hard to believe that today is the last friday I am among my family in Mashhad. It's hard to believe that I will be some where far, with 12 hours time difference next friday: So Close, So Far. This is the last "Biking on Fridays" that I post in Mashhad Daily Photos.

Afshin Roast Chicken

What do you agree with for lunch? a roast chicken or a roast fish?

Voluntary Blood Donation

The sign says: "Blood Donation Center"

Today, despite the huge scientific evolution and great achievements in medicine, ensuring a safe and adequate blood supply is still one of the most important concerns of medical community in global scale; the mankind has been unable to replace this life-giving source with any other substitute so far.

Near %100 of blood need in Iran is provided by blood donors. Blood donation is a culture among the people in Persia.

13/06/2008 The World Blood Donors Day Festival
Reference: http://www.ibto.ir

Skywatch : Mashhad Sunset

Posted by Sara

Old and Modern Architecture

In these two photos, you'll see the old and modern architecture of Mashhad. I was passing through this old building by my car when I took the photo; so I couldn't realize what this building was. "Malek House" is the only thing I could see. If any of the Mashhadi's visitors know, tell us please.
And you see the Mellat Bank below as a modern building. Interesting to know that these two buildings are in a same street: Arg Street.
If you are interested to see more photos of old architecture in this part of the world, The Land of Persia, visit The Travel to Kashan.

Multi-floor Parking

Ramazan

You all may know what the Ramadan is (Ramazan in Persian). It is also called the great ceremony of God. How do you feel if you do not eat and drink from sunrise to sunset?
As you see in the picture, It is usuall to eat such simple meal for breaking fast in Iran. Bread, cheese with fresh vegtables, date with a cup of tea or a glass of milk. We have also a special kind of sweet for this month which is named Zoolbia & Bamieh (the yellow colored sweet you see in the photo) .

Skywatch: Late Summer Rain

On September 2, we surprisingly saw black clouds in the sky and a summer rain started falling for around a quarter. It was more than 3 months that we haven't had any rain. Thanks God.

Churches in Mashhad

Saint Mesrop Church

There are only two churches in Mashhad as I know and heard. But only one of them is active, not all the days. I'm sorry to say that during past decade, several of christians (Armenians) have moved from this city because of some inconvenience they had with the government. To be honest, we have a limited freedom of religion here in Iran. Although we have Jews, Christians and Zoroasterians, but they are not enough free to preach their religion in the public. They can only do their religious practices in private places they have.

It was my first time visiting the churches in Mashhad. As I said only one of them is active, St Mesrop Church. The other one has been closed for a few years. After walking up and down in the streets, I finally found the St Mesrop. The door was closed. I pushed the doorbell. An old woman picked the phone and said: "Yes?"
Meead: "Excuse me, could you please open the door? I want to enter the church."
Woman: "Why? Who are you?"
Meead: "I just want to visit inside of the church."
Woman: "For what?"
Meead: "I like to take some photos."
Woman: "No."
Meead: "Oh why?"
Woman: "I said no."
Meead: "Sorry, but could you please come down to the door. I want to talk with you."
Woman: "No."
Meead: "Who is the servant of the church? I want to meet him."
Woman: "He is not home."
Meead: "When will he come back?"
Woman: "I don't know."
Meead: "Could you please tell me how and when I can meet him?"
Woman: "I told you I don't know. Go and come back next month, after Ramadan."
Meead: "Oh, I'll not be in Iran in the next month."
Woman: "It's your problem."
Meead: "Okay, thank you. Bye."

And she put down the phone. I got so upset that she didn't let me in even for a second to visit inside of the church, really sad! I looked around to see if any of their neighbors were there. Oh yes, there is a man there. I got close to him and asked him if he knows who is the servant of this church. He said that he knows him.
I asked him: "why they didn't let me in."
Man: "They prefer not to let muslims in. Muslims always cause them trouble. Why do you want to visit the church?"
Meead: "I just want to take some photos and visit the church for the first time."
Man: "They let several of you inside before but none of you never made any donation to the church. They just spent their time and energy to open the door for you and let you in and gave you lots of information. But at the end, all of you just say thank you, not more."

I thanked the man and came back in front of the church. I rised my head to look the building. What I saw was so sad. Most of the windows were broken. Did people really do that with the church? If yes ... I found the answer why the other church is closed and this one is not open everyday. I found the answer why christians have moved out from Mashhad. I can't believe they did that. Jesus!

I also have a bad news: Recently a christian, Ramtin Soodmand, has been arrested in Mashhad by an intelligent agancy. No one has any news about him after 12 days. Ramtin was only allowed a few days ago to contact his mother briefly by phone, at which time he informed his mother that he was in good health, but did not disclose any other information about his detention or the reason for his arrest.