Mashad is the capital of Khorasan, the massive province of northeast Iran, which is larger than France and yet a fraction of its original size during the Persian Empire, when it stretched east to China, west to Rey, north to the Aral Sea, and south to Kerman. Towns such as Merv, Bukhara, and Samarkand now separated from Khorasan, were once parts of this province. For centuries, Mashad was an important trade center on the caravan route from India to Persia; and now, it is one of the holiest centers for the Shiite Muslims, who come for pilgrimage to the shrine of their 8th Imam. Some of the world’s best saffron and turquoise can be found in Mashad and its Grand Bazaar.