Half of Iran’s foreign tourists has Mashhad on their itinerary, tourism deputy of Khorasan Razavi’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization Department, Seyyed Javad Mousavi said. Last year (March 2014-15), five million foreign tourists visited Iran, half of whom headed for Mashhad. Mashhad is home to the shrine of Imam Reza (AS), which draws Shia pilgrims from all over the world. The city also boasts a number of quality hotels—52% of Iran’s lodging facilities are in the province—and shopping malls, IRNA reported. Sarakhs, Lotfabad, Dogharoun and Bajgiran were the main points of entry to Mashhad, having allowed one million people through. Most travelers stayed for two days. Mashhad receives around 25 million Iranian and foreign pilgrims every year.
