Imam Reza holy shrine hosts over 30 million Iranian and foreign pilgrims annually who lovingly make their way to this holy shrine to spend spiritual and meaningful moments in this sacred place. Therefore, it is necessary to provide best services for this large number of pilgrims in every aspect, offering them peace and devotion all at once.
Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, officials of Astan Quds Razavi have paid special attention to the development of the shrine and significant steps have been taken in various sectors as evidence of this. Aside from the two old and new courtyards, all other courtyards of the illuminated shrine of Imam Reza (AS) have been constructed after the victory of Islamic Revolution. As a result, the pilgrimage space of the shrine, which had an area of 120,000 square meters before the revolution, has been developed to one million square meters in both open and covered spaces, increasing nearly tenfold. In addition, numerous measures have also been taken to facilitate access of pilgrims.
In other words, protection of art and architecture in Imam Reza shrine, alongside implementation of development plans to enhance level of services, has always been one of the important and fundamental strategies of Astan Quds Razavi. Currently, construction activities in various surface and subsurface areas of the holy shrine are underway, and the following will address the most significant construction projects, some of which have recently been put into operation.

Beautification of the Qibla Side of the shrine
After completion of Grand Holy Prophet Courtyard, the exterior and the area extending from Bab al-Reza entrance to Bab al-Jawad entrance showcased a brick-facade with gray walls that, without any embellishments, conveyed the feeling of an unfinished project to the visitors' perspective. This area was considered the most frequented route to the holy shrine, with over 35% of pilgrims passing through this path.
Therefore, one of the main reasons for implementing this project was beautification of this area, which included approximately 4,250 square meters of built-up area, beautification and execution of over 8,500 square meters of facade work, as well as about 13,500 square meters of flooring related to the roof and surrounding area. This is positioned as the main facade that visitors face when approaching Imam Reza shrine. This facade work includes construction of several verandas on the main walls of the holy shrine within the specified area, with the height of central veranda set at 26 meters and the height of each of the two side verandas set at 10 meters.
Luxurious combinations of brick and tile are adorned in the central veranda and the sacred name of Allah is inscribed on the circular inscriptions of the corners, embellishing the veranda.
Throughout all parts of this veranda, numerous inscriptions in Bannaei script pay homage to the traditional art of veranda construction, featuring themes of blessings upon Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and reference to Imam Ali (AS). However, the centerpiece of this veranda is inscription of the Ayat al-Kursi, crafted using the technique of brick carving, with its writing inspired by the inscriptions of the Nizamiyya School in decorative Kufic script. Additionally, a special blessing for Imam Reza (AS) is inscribed beneath the border of the Kufic inscription in Bannaei script.
In addition to beautifying the facade, landscaping and elements such as the construction of a fountain in front of the main Qibla porch have been planned in this project. To create a sense of tranquility and blend the spiritual feeling in this environment, elements such as light, water, and color taken from Islamic architecture have been utilized. The area of the pond has been designed in such a way that the reflection of the main porch can be seen in the water from a distance.
A shading structure has been implemented from the entrance of Bab al-Jawad towards the entrance of Bab al-Reza which not only provides shade for passersby but also helps the public with directions, clarify the entrances and exits, and create service areas.
This path is a reminiscent of the historical route of the city’s Bazaar, serving as the historical pathway of the Hoz-e-No alley between the Eidgah neighborhood and the area of the Sarsang Square, evoking the historical routes leading to the holy shrine of Imam Reza. Service spaces “before pilgrimage” have been planned in this path as well as deposit rooms, wheelchair services, chador rentals, restrooms, etc. This project provides approximately 1,500 square meters of space and 19 service booths for the convenience of pilgrims visiting the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS).
The beautification work of the Qibla side facade of the holy shrine, which possesses valuable artistic and Islamic architectural features, began in July 2024 and was completed in November the same year.

Increasing Roofed Pilgrimage Spaces
In addition to preserving and maintaining valuable architecture of the holy shrine, which is among the duties and priorities of the Organization for Construction and Maintenance of Imam Reza Holy Shrine, creation and development of more spaces to facilitate pilgrimage experience of the visitors, alongside places that can enhance cultural, religious, and political functions within the holy shrine, is also a priority in the programs of this organization.
There have been fundamental limitations, including the impossibility of horizontal expansion of the holy shrine when it comes to create more spaces. Another limitation is the hierarchy of access that has been defined since ancient times. This hierarchy gives access to sanctuaries, courtyards, and porticos one after the other which must be taken into account in development of pilgrimage spaces.
The reality is that out of one million square meters of the holy shrine area, only 4.7 percent is roofed, 2.04 percent of which is on the ground floor and 2.3 percent is in underground spaces. Considering large number of pilgrims in special occasions, this amount of space makes it difficult to accommodate.
To solve this problem, two plans have been developed: one in the short term, which aims to cover the existing spaces while respecting the hierarchy of access, and in the long term, to transfer the remaining spaces of the holy shrine that are currently non-pilgrimage areas to the holy shrine with certain measures, and to allocate these non-pilgrimage spaces for pilgrimage purposes.
Based on the studies conducted by provincial and national experts and elites, it has been decided to roof Jomhuri Eslami Courtyard in the southern half, with an area of 3,000 square meters, and to connect it to the subsurface structure of the porticoes in the southern part, with an area of 2,000 square meters, which will provide a portico with an area of 5,000 square meters. The executive operations for the construction of this project, named the Courtyard of Amir al-Momenin (AS), have officially begun in 2023 and are expected to be completed within 2 years. In this project, we will also have a rooftop pilgrimage space, where a rooftop courtyard with an area of 3,000 square meters will be constructed, and on the northern side of the portico, Jomhuri Eslami Courtyard will be designed in a four-veranda style.
Construction of Amir al-Momenin (AS) portico will add 4.16 percent to the ground pilgrimage spaces of the holy shrine and with construction of underground space of Sheikh Bahaei portico, an approximately 35.0 percent will be added to the underground pilgrimage spaces of the illuminated shrine of Imam Reza (AS). With the implementation of these two projects, a total of 26% will be added to the ground-level and underground spaces of the holy shrine.

Sheikh Bahaei underground sanctuary, an important project
Sheikh Bahaei underground sanctuary is also one of the significant projects of the holy shrine. It is being implemented between Ghadir and Quds courtyards, with a built area of 43,000 square meters, aimed at increasing covered pilgrimage space and connecting to the underground porticoes of the basement and burial site. This includes an underground portico with an area of 8,000 square meters, ablution facilities, restrooms, and floored graves.
This project includes two underground levels featuring the Paradise of Samen al-Aemeh (AS) and the pilgrimage courtyard, while higher levels contain the surface courtyard along with service spaces such as Library of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). In such a large-scale project, accommodations for 16,000 pilgrims have been planned along with 160 restroom facilities, and transportation routes have been established in the underground level for the convenience of the pilgrims. Additionally, this project connects the Dar al-Marhamah Courtyard to the Dar al-Hujjah courtyard, with the highlight of this courtyard being the courtyard of Goharshad Mosque. This project began in 2014 and is currently at the stage of finishing works, expected to be operational by the end of 2024.

Aggregation of Museums  
Astan Quds Razavi’s museum is a treasure trove and a historical and religious rainbow that showcases everything from the handwritten manuscripts of the Imams (AS) to exquisite carpets from the Safavid era to contemporary period.  
This museum is one of the largest museum collections in Iran, with its historical buildings reflecting 8 centuries of Islamic decorative arts and architecture, while its historical artifacts represent various arts and handicrafts created over the past 10 centuries.  
Astan Quds Razavi museum consists of 5 separate buildings with 16 specialized treasure troves, including historical works of the holy shrine, donated historical artifacts such as handwritten copies of Quran, coins, carpets, donated medals, stamps, visual arts, ancient dishes, historical weapons, and more, attracting over 1 million visitors annually.  
Astan Quds Razavi, which has always emphasized the development of museums and fundamental transformation in presenting these works to the audience and honoring benefactors, has taken an important step. Thanks to the efforts of Razavi servants in the Organization for Construction and Maintenance of the Holy Shrine, a significant expansion of Razavi museums has been initiated in a new location. The big project of creating the comprehensive Razavi museum has been launched based on the latest standards in this field. After the completion of the project, all the museums of the holy shrine will be relocated to the new site.  
This plan encompasses approximately 14,000 square meters, with a built area of 80,000 square meters across 2 upper floors, a ground floor, and four underground floors, integrating various cultural discussions within itself.
Imam Reza Comprehensive Museum is located adjacent to the holy shrine and outside the pilgrimage area between the Bab al-Reza and Bab al-Kazim, with access for entry and exit from both inside the holy shrine and the urban pathway. Implementation of this mega-project is phased, and according to the planned schedule, its infrastructure work will be completed by 2025, making it fully ready for operation by 2028. The current budget allocated for the construction of Razavi Comprehensive Museum is 4500 billion Rials.

Beautification and Improvement of the Underpass
Many still refer to the work completed in the underpass of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) as a significant achievement, considering implementation of this project as one of the largest service and construction efforts by Astan Quds Razavi in contemporary times, resulting from several years of work by a group of engineers and urban experts.
Construction of the underpass at Imam Reza shrine should be regarded as one of the most important symbols of shrine's development after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, which began in the 1980s.
This circular space is centered by the dome of the holy shrine, and its implementation was unprecedented in Iran then.
Execution of this underpass began in 1984 and was completed in 1993, aiming to organize the traffic around the shrine square. Additionally, this project connected four main streets of Mashhad: Tabarsi, Shirazi, Navab Safavi, and Imam Reza (AS). Since then, almost no operations had been carried out in the underpass and Astan Quds Razavi decided to renovate and improve this main artery of the city alongside the underground parking areas around the underpass, to provide easier, safer, higher-quality, and more beautiful passage for pilgrims and visitors after three decades.
Due to increased volume of traffic in the underpass and its transformation into a public and main thoroughfare, along with the increased usage of parking spaces, there was increased air pollution in the area, necessitating serious decisions for better ventilation of the space.
Based on this, ventilation systems were renovated, resulting in higher quality ventilation. Additionally, in the underpass and the parking lot, measures were taken in line with reducing air pollution, as they were separated by construction of 14,000 square meters of wall, allowing for more effective and separate ventilation.
On the other hand, considering heavy traffic that sometimes occurs in this passage, the new construction plan for the underpass includes upgrading and modifying traffic signs and loads to manage traffic flow in this route.
Measures included reducing speed limit from 60 to 40 kilometers per hour, as well as completing re-asphalt, new lane markings, enhancing lighting, upgrading safety in the underpass based on the latest standards, creating access routes for services and emergencies, and modifications at the entry and exit paths according to a new layout. Information and new safety signs were installed throughout the route based on current standards.
Installation of elements and artistic motifs on the walls of the underpass such as Islamic patterns, mihrab elements, and vaulted columns is another measure taken to beautify the structure and implement artistic designs along this route for the pilgrims and visitors of Imam Reza shrine.