Half close your eyes and you could almost imagine this beautiful shrine as a Buddhist temple in the Nepali foothills – all that's missing is the ek on the dome. Dedicated to a Sufi mystic, Sheikh Zahed Gilani (1236–1301), the mausoleum, with its distinctive blue, pyramidal roof, is an important pilgrimage site. Originally dating from the Safavid era, the shrine has been rebuilt several times. You can see it from the Ramsar motorway, 2.5km from Lahijan's Golestan Sq.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
22.61 MILES
Many traditional Gilani cottages have been reassembled in the grounds of this fascinating open-air museum that strives to represent the different cultural…
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26.01 MILES
Rasht’s most identifiable landmark sits at the western end of the vast, central Shohoda Sq. The Shahrdari’s colonial style is tempered by a token mini…
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1.86 MILES
This beautiful wetland area 4km southeast of Lahijan, near the village of Soustan (Sistan), is an important habitat for migratory birds, and is most…
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1.22 MILES
The easternmost 800m of Kashef St climbs Sheitan Kuh, a tree-covered ridge fringed with tea gardens. It’s crowded on Friday with local tourists enjoying…
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26.37 MILES
While small, this museum is well presented in a 1930s house. Its mannequin displays illustrate the Gilaki lifestyle, amid a selection of 3000-year-old…
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2.6 MILES
Rumoured as the resting place of four Gilani kings, the mosque is famous for its carved wooden doors, which have been moved to Tehran’s National Museum…
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26 MILES
The horseman statue facing down Sa'di St mall from Shohoda Sq depicts Kuchuk Khan, the Jangali leader of ‘Soviet Iran’.
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26.47 MILES
A steady flow of well-wishers visits Kuchuk Khan's tomb (Manzariyeh St), sheltered by a contemporary brick gazebo with an intricate wooden roof. The tomb…
Nearby Iran attractions
1.22 MILES
The easternmost 800m of Kashef St climbs Sheitan Kuh, a tree-covered ridge fringed with tea gardens. It’s crowded on Friday with local tourists enjoying…
2. Mausoleum of Kashef-ol-Saltaneh
1.66 MILES
This austere, grey mausoleum entombs the man who is credited with introducing tea cultivation to Iran. It houses an underwhelming museum of tea…
1.86 MILES
This beautiful wetland area 4km southeast of Lahijan, near the village of Soustan (Sistan), is an important habitat for migratory birds, and is most…
2.6 MILES
Rumoured as the resting place of four Gilani kings, the mosque is famous for its carved wooden doors, which have been moved to Tehran’s National Museum…
2.61 MILES
This Qajar-era Friday mosque is pierced by a blue-tipped brick minaret.
2.62 MILES
This crumbling, two-chambered hammam from the Qajar period is in the process of being turned into a restaurant.
8. Gilan Rural Heritage Museum
22.61 MILES
Many traditional Gilani cottages have been reassembled in the grounds of this fascinating open-air museum that strives to represent the different cultural…