Mashhad, << muh SHAD >> (pop. 3,012,090), is one of Iran’s largest cities and a religious center. It lies on a fertile plain in northeastern Iran. People travel to Mashhad each year to visit the gold-domed tomb of Imam Ali al-Rida ibn Musa, a Muslim leader. Mashhad manufactures rugs, shawls, silk goods, porcelain, and jewelry. It also is a trading center for timber, cotton textiles, and animal hides. Mashhad was founded around Ali al-Rida’s tomb and became a flourishing town in the 1300’s.
