Khorasan Province
 
Nature outside Mashhad
Golestan Dam
Built around 500 years ago, this old dam with a 120-meter crest and 14 meter height has been built on a river of the same name. It is about 12 km to the southwest of Mashhad.

Shandiz
Located 38 km to the southwest of Mashhad, in a mountainous area with plenty of springs, this tiny town is famous for its leather handicrafts and fur cloaks. Also many restaurants serving delicious Shishlik, kebabs made from lamb T-bones, can be found here.
 
Torqabeh
This is a beautiful mountainous village with many orchards, 16 km southwest of Mashhad. A river passing through the village waters the orchards. There is a nice park here as well. The best know souvenir of this village is its hand-woven baskets.

 
 

 
Toos
Toos was a powerful city and regional capital long before Mashhad but was destroyed by the Mongols. A ridge of clay running through the plain is all that is left of its fortifications the size of which gives an indication of how large a city it was. Toos is the home of Ferdowsi, not only the poet of Shahnameh (Epic of the Kings composed in 30 years) but also the national chronicler (in nearly sixty thousand verses) of a certain view of ancient Persian history. He died in 1020 and is now buried under a mausoleum built in 1933 in preparation for the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the poet’s death. The mausoleum was rebuilt in 1968 and is now surrounded by a beautiful garden.