Sayyed Mir Ahmad, one of Imam Reza’s 17 brothers, was hunted down and killed by the caliphate on this site in AD 835 and his remains are housed in a dazzling shrine of mirrored tiles. A mausoleum was first erected over the tomb during the 12th century, but the courtyard and tile work represent relatively modern embellishments from the late-Qajar period and the Islamic Republic. The blue-tiled dome and dazzling gold-tipped minarets form a magnificent context for the Shiite rituals at this revered centre of pilgrimage.
The museum in the northwestern corner of the courtyard, next to the shrine, houses an interesting collection of shrine-related objects, including some highly prized old Qurans upstairs and an exquisite door decorated with silver, gold and lapis lazuli downstairs.
In the southeastern corner of the courtyard, the Bogh'e-ye Sayyed Mir Mohammed houses the tombs of two brothers of Mir Ahmad. The shrine has the typical Shirazi bulbous dome, intricate mirror work and four slender wooden pillars that boast near perfect proportions.
Visitors are welcome to enter the courtyard in the middle of the complex and to take discreet photographs (no large cameras or tripods), but entrance to the shrines was not permitted to non-Muslims at the time of writing. Women must wear chador within the whole shrine complex (available for free at the women’s entrance).
