Imam Reza shrine
The Imam Reza shrine (Persian: حرم امام رضا, romanized: Haram-e Emâm Rezâ, lit. 'Sanctuary of Imam Reza'), located in Mashhad, Iran, is an Islamic shrine containing the remains of Ali al-Rida, the eighth imam in Twelverism. It is the largest mosque in the world by area. Also contained within the complex are the Goharshad Mosque, a museum, a library, four seminaries, a cemetery, the Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, and other buildings.
| Imam Reza shrine | |
|---|---|
حرم امام رضا | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Shia Islam |
| Leadership | Imam(s): Ahmad Marvi |
| Location | |
| Location | Mashhad, Iran |
Location in Iran | |
| Administration | Astan Quds Razavi |
| Geographic coordinates | 36.2880°N 59.6157°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Abbasid Islamic |
| Date established | 818 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 700,000 |
| Minaret(s) | 12 |
| Minaret height | 70 m (230 ft) |
| Site area | 1,000,000 square metres (250 acres) |
| Website | |
| www | |
The complex is a tourism center in Iran and has been described as "the heart of the Shia Iran" with 25 million Iranian and non-Iranian Shias visiting the shrine each year, according to a 2007 estimate.
The shrine itself covers an area of 267,079 square metres (2,874,810 sq ft) while the seven courtyards which surround it cover an area of 331,578 square metres (3,569,080 sq ft), totaling 598,657 m2 (6,443,890 sq ft).