Amateur photographer Shaima Marafi visited the historic city of Mashhad, Khorasan, Iran in early December. One of the most famous Iranian cities, Mashhad is a place for religious pilgrimage due to the location of many important mosques, tombs and shrines including the Shrine of Imam Reza within the city and has been called Iran’s ‘spiritual city’ by the former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It is home to a vast array of beautiful architecture. - All photos by Shaima Marafi