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Imam Reza complex
One of the very few photos I was allowed to take - a guard grabbed me as I was focusing my camera, but after my desperate (and international) puppy dog batter of eyelids, he let me through 'Chador', in Farsi literally means 'tent'. It's the huge plain moon-shaped sheet that Iranian women donn themselves with, miraculously keeping it in place without the aid of any buttons or duct tape. Now, if it weren't for all the practice I got during dorm keg 'n' Toga parties and Greek/Roman plays (I knew Shakespeare and Sophocles would come in handy, everything truly does happen for a reason!) I couldn't have managed to drag myself around the Masshad's Holy Imam Reza complex feeling like I was going through one of those Asian 'sweat out the fat' diets for three hours.
Rules for female visitors are bloody stricter than anywhere else I visited in Iran, for the reason that it is the third Holiest site for Shi'ites after Mecca and Medina. So for non-Muslims, this is the toughest place to visit since the prior two don't let in followers of other religions (which is understandable due to their popularity as it is! After all, to this day a grant to go on a Hajj pilgrimage is something like a global lottery, and even if you do 'win' and get there amongst 3 million other muslims from around the world. Furthermore, there're
Imam Reza complex
Chador-clad, makeup-less standing in front of a Imam Khoumeini poster chances of getting severely hurt or even killed during the 'stoning of Satan' ritual or a random fire that began from someone's faulty portable BBQ contraption.)
Masshad luckily doesn't have that kind of chaos, unless you visit during Persian New Year. Even still the crowds were tough enough and security seemed tight (ever since the 1994 bombing incident, there are body-checks at the entrance and no bags are allowed inside). But the rules are as follows, applying to non-Muslims as well -
(a) No photography - so I apologize for my lack of images this time...
(b) No non-Muslims allowed in some areas, due to the rituals that are involved before entering.
(c) For men, no shorts or short-sleeved shirts. Even on the bloody hottest day of the year, mate.
the remaining rules shocked us ladies to our dismay:
(d) No makeup (ie. hoochie-mamas are absolutely forbidden on these premises) - Noooo~!😞 One of us asked if it was ok to use her eyebrow-liner since she doesnt have real eyebrows...haha😉 No.
(e) Hide any strand of hair; if any stray, a stranger will come and warn you.
(f) Absolutely no area-hogging umbrellas, hats or visors - the
Imam Reza complex
desperate attempt to capture the beauty of the shrine elderly wept in dismay and applied an inch-thick layer of sunscreen45+++
(g) Chadors, no excuse. Don't have one? rent one from your hotel or tourist agency...and you're less than five feet tall? tough luck - chadors dont cater to little people. (i'm 5'6 - 167cm- tall. being the tallest woman in the group, i still had difficulty keeping from tripping on the fabric)
I have bangs for a reason - frankly, without them my face looks like a round chinese mooncake or dumpling. I draw half of my eyebrows too, as otherwise their downward growth makes me seem really suicidally depressed. honestly. But I had no option but to conform and look like a sad pork bun draped in a sheet.
The shrine of Imam Reza, the 8th Imam, holds museums and mosques with beautiful golden domes marked with 16th century kufic scripts of Qu'ran excerpts. It's a maginificent sight to see, although a shame that we non-muslims can't check out of it. Instead, we begin our tour with a video in English with a BGM of Mozart tracks for some reason (the video footage is in shambles, and i bet every dollar I have that it's from
Masshad street scene
I snapped my camera out the bus window knowing it would be confiscated as soon as we approached the shrine the early 80s - the male haircuts and pants are a dead giveaway). it's followed by a browse around the open squares in the scorching sun, to the main museum full of sculptures, coins...to random recent Olympic medals and seashells (???).
Imam Reza was the 8th Imam who had his pomegranate juice and grapes poisoned by Caliph Ma'mun (who was threatened by the his popularity amongst the commons and royal court). Masshad wasn't a pilgrimage site until the Safavid dynasty in the 16th Century stated Shi'ism as the state religion. Famous royal contributors to the extension and decoration of the complex involve Shah-Rukh (and his religious wife) and the legendary Caliph Harun-al-Rashid (who makes an appearance in Arabian Nights), but the city has been constantly destroyed and rebuilt...
Our accomodation in Masshad was interesting - it included a lovely kitchen because most pilgrims stay for a while - but the highlights were a pretty prayer rug, stone (to place your head upon) and numerous pamphlets/books on Islam in English. Being interested in Iranian history, I was tempted to take one of them, but i couldnt figure out whether if the thing i wanted was a book or a
Post-dinner cigarette
My one and only Masshad night shot! pamphlet. Regardless, at this hotel there was a thorough 'room check' involved before we left, and I didnt want to be the scandalous villain who stole a book. So I read it like speedy-Gonzalez. A few of the women were fascinated by the cute prayer rugs, and tried to steal them...bitches.
Are you a smoker? And female? well, if you have the chance to visit Masshad, I have to tell you that it's rather difficult to find a smoking spot. Cigs are considered foul (although I saw numerous men with marlboros at their lips) but WOMEN??? No, that doesnt happen here! While Kaori and I found a discreet spot to smoke in amongst the shrubbery, we were still pointed and gasped at by a hoard of locals. i think that was the only time I felt shame as a nicotine-addict...but you can't ever stop a smoker from taking a drag after a hearty meal.
Tip of the day - prayer rugs are quite pretty, and do make great souvenirs. They are surprisingly cheap too, so do check out the bazaars if you have the chance. I bought a few, constantly questioned about my religious beliefs (ohhhh barnacles, who
closest attempt into the complex
Bad photo, especially with my chador look, but the closest I could get a snapshot (scandalous enough for a non-muslim - booyakasha!) bloody cares???). At least I was allowed to throw off my chador as soon as we left the shrine...
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andrew
non-member comment
again
ah,i found you are beautiful whatever dress in,especially the one "Imam Reza complex "pic