DAY 84 - MUSSHAD
Musshad has the most important holy site for Shi’ite Muslims. The Holy Shrine of Emam Reza is worth 70,000 pilgrimages to Mecca (but still far less than one visit to a bar to worship Bob). This whole complex has 2 mosques, 4 museums,12 halls, 6 theological colleges, several libraries etc. And it’s beautiful. Sadly some of the best parts are off limits to non Muslim heathens like me. Another bummer is the no camera rule. And there is no chance to take sneaky pictures because you have to have a free guide. The good news is it’s all free and you even get all manner of free pamphlets and you get to choose two free books. I chose ‘The Last Message Imam Khomeini’ and the hard hitting ‘The Truth About Christianity’ (I knew they were hiding something). I am looking forward to both.
The main museum was also excellent. Amazingly well wishers have donated everything to the museum from Alexander the Great coins to gold medals from various games. They have received so much stuff over the years they can only display one fiftieth at any one time. Even better the head curator invited me to his office for tea and an a chat. He was incredibly interesting and I even offered to send him some New Zealand stamps when I get home (so that’s how he does it).
Here are some of his thoughts. At 32 I am far to old for marriage in Iran. Bugrit. Kids here usually get married before 23. The government even gives them one thousand dollars if they do it before they finish uni. This way they are less likely to have ‘illegal sex’. His words. Yes sex outside marriage here is illegal, it’s even a capital offence if the man is not a Muslim. They even sentenced a German guy to death for it a couple of years back. He got off on appeal.