Though it is a holy landmark for Shia people, Imam Redha Holy Shrine in the Iranian city of Mashhad attracts many foreign non-Muslim tourists and visitors from around the world.

As most foreign travelers have acknowledged it, the Holy Shrine relaxes their hearts and provides a spiritually uplifting atmosphere amid its beautiful architecture and arts.

Yurgin Yourfsky, tourism activist and Russian orientalist, who is paying a visit to Iran with his family has got the same idea. Regarding this trip, he says, "It is now two weeks that we are in Iran and we have visited Tabriz, Urmia, and Isfahan. We have enjoyed the natural attractions of these cities". 

He added, "Iranian people are very diverse in terms of ethnicity and each of these groups has got their own customs. Honestly speaking, I have to say that this people enjoy rich culture and there is now doubt that hospitality and kindness have mixed with their moods". 
 

Yourfsky went on to say, "I have visited Iran five times and Mashhad two times up to now. I suggest Mashhad as a very good tourist destination to other tourists". 
 

The Russian tourism journalist described his feeling about his presence at Imam Redha Holy Shrine saying, "This kind of spirituality cannot be found and experienced in Russia. Describing spiritual and mystic sense of this holy place is very difficult".

Samuel Lozarofsky is another tourist who introduced the Holy Shrine as a symbol of architecture, religion, and spirituality. He said, "The architecture of this place provides the visitor with a beautiful sight in way that he can spend hours to visit it and to write lots of article on it". 
He introduced interest in Islamic culture and art as the main reason behind his second visit to Mashhad and added, "Imam Redha Holy Shrine is considered as a complete complex of world’s Islamic arts in terms of applied arts and architecture". 

For her part, Susan Hunter who is visiting Iran for the first time introduced this country as a civilized and cultured land and says, "I had a very different view point about Iran before my trip to this county. I never thought Iran has got this large number of beautiful landscapes; traveling to Iran made my image of Iran different". 

Source: imamhussain.org