272 MASHAD, THE HOLY CITY OF PERSIA
is absolutely prohibited to all non-believers in Islam, there have been, during the past century, a few Europeans who were fortunate enough to gain entrance — and while in Mashad we heard a rumor that another in disguise had at least slipped into the outer court — so that from their accounts, supple- mented by detailed descriptions given by Muhammedans themselves, and aided by photographs of the shrine and its surrounding building, we are able to form a good idea of the grand parallelogram as a whole. ^
The main entrance is on the northeasterly side, which the Khiaban here traverses, and ingress is had through the Portal of Shah Abbas II into the grand enclosure known as the Old Court. 2 The pavement of this court is composed of slabs of dark stones, under which lies the dust of thousands of devout Muhammedans, while conspicuous in the center is a fountain dedicated by Nadir Shah, and opposite rises the handsomest of the four tile-adorned porticos, the Golden Porch of Nadir, striking because of its lofty minaret overlaid with gold, and rivaling its towering mate on the Portal of Shah Abbas.^
Behind the Golden Porch rises the magnificent dome of the Shrine, lifting its noble head covered with plates of copper encrusted with gold, and made still more gorgeous by a double
1 Detailed plans of the enclosure ^ Nadir Shah, the great conqueror are given by Yate, Khurasan, p. 332 ; in the eighteenth century, did much Sykes, JBA8. 1910, p. 1129, and the to beautify the shrine, and was buried same author's Glory of the Shia at Mashad ; but the eunuch monarch, World, p. 102. For the names of the Agha Muhammad Shah, out of revenge European travelers who are known to for having been mutilated by him, have visited the shrine in the nine- caused his body to be dug up, the teenth century, see Curzon, Persia, grave despoiled, and the bones trans- 1. 160-161. f erred to Teheran and buried under
2 It is worth noting that a large the doorsill of the palace that he might European chime-clock, a gift due to have the grim pleasure of tramp- English munificence, looks down from ing over them daily in passing in and the main portico in this court ; and out. See Eraser, p. 462 ; Burnes, Russian enterprise has introduced Travels into Bokhara, 3. 71-72, Lon- electric light into the building of the don, 1835 ; Curzon, 1. 166.
shrine.
�� �
