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Tombs of Farid Uddin Attar & Nizam al-Molk in Nishapur

The Mausoleum of Attar Neyshapuri is 6km out of Nishapur and 115km from Mashhad in Razavi Khorasan Province of Iran. Farid Uddin Attar’s full name is Abu Hamid bin Abu Bakr Ibrahim but he is better known as Attar of Nishapur.

 

Early Life

The word Attar in Persian means “the perfume”. Attar was born in 1145 AD or 1146 (dispute exists) in Nishapur. Attar is known for practicing the profession of pharmacy, hagiographer, sufi and a poet. As a younger man, Attar went on pilgrimage to Mecca and traveled extensively, seeking wisdom in Egypt, Damascus, India, and other areas, before finally returning to his home city of Nishapur.

 

This is the road which goes from Mashhad to Nishapur
A aroundabout beside the Mausoleum of Attar Neyshapuri
A sign points to two famous Iranians Farid Uddin Attar and Kamal al-Molk at the entrance
A very first view of the mausoleum of Farid Uddin Attar
A humble looking mausoleum of Farid Uddin Attar
It is a small free standing structure
A sign beside the tomb shows a short note about Attar's life

 

Work

Mantiq al-Tayr or The Conference of Birds is known as his most famous epic poem, which is consecrated to the tale of the spiritual quest of 30 birds to find their supreme sovereign. Attar’s poetry inspired Rumi and many other Sufi poets. It is said that Rumi actually met Attar when Attar was an old man and Rumi was a boy. Some of his work includes Mukhtar-nama, Khusraw-nama, Diwan, Asrar-nama, Musibat-nama, Ilahi-nama and Jawahir-nama. 

 

An arch above the mausoleum of Attar Nishapuri
A wooden door provides an access to tomb inside the building
Interior of the tomb is well maintained and richly decorated
A chandelier hangs from the ceiling

Death

Farid Uddin Attar died in 1221, it is believed that he was killed by a Mongol soldier. After the capture of Attar by Mongols he was about to be sold but Farid said that price for his slavery was too high so mongol soldier waited for the next customer and price agreed by Farid was too low and he was killed by the soldier. 

His tomb was built by Ali-Shir Nava’i in the sixteenth century. It is a simple freestanding building but it is tastfully built in the Persian architectural style.

Grave headstone can be seen in the middle of this photo
A closeup view of the grave
Though Attar met his violent in April 1221 but his legacy as a fine poet and pharmacist lives on
Wooden door of the mausoleum, seen from inside
There were few other graves beside the main structure of Attar's tomb
Close to the resting place of Attar, a simple tomb of Kamal al-Molk can be found

 

Kamal al-Molk

Kamal al-Molk was a famous Iranian painter and his birth name was Mohammad Ghaffari and he was born in Kashan in 1845. Being born in a family which was known for having artistic traditions was a big plus from his early childhood. He enjoyed his time under Naser al-Din Shah Qajar but he fell out with his son later on when he became a ruler.

 

 

Tomb of Kamal al-Molk
A shed like structure covers the grave of Kamal al-Molk
Iranians had great respect for this historical figure and he is well known in Kashan

Kamal al-Molk migrated to Europe to avoid confrontation with the new ruler, he came back to Iran in 1902. His stay in Iran was brief and he had no option but to leave Iran and he migrated to Iraq. He passed away in Nishapur in 1940.

A closeup of the grave
A photo is inscribed on his headstone
A sign beside the mausoleum of Kamal al-Molk describes his life
A grave beside the tomb of Kamal al-Molk
A guy with his horse on the road beside the tombs of Attar and Kamal al-Molk