Wender·Vista
Imam Reza Shrine
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileIran
in Mashhad, in the northeast of Iran

Imam Reza Shrine

— — a courtyard the country comes home to.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The mausoleum of Ali al-Rida, the eighth Imam of Twelver Shia Islam, who died in 818. The complex around the tomb has grown for twelve centuries into the largest mosque in the world by area, drawing about thirty million pilgrims each year. Mashhad, the place of martyrdom, grew with it. The golden dome holds the inner courtyard; the outer courts keep filling and emptying like tides.

from the studio
Imam Reza Shrine
— bring it home

Imam Reza Shrine, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Imam Reza Shrine

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The Imam Reza Shrine stands at the centre of Mashhad, capital of Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran, about 850 kilometres east of Tehran and a hundred kilometres from the Turkmen and Afghan borders. The complex covers roughly 600,000 square metres including its courtyards, prayer halls, museums, and seminaries, and is administered by Astan Quds Razavi, one of the largest charitable foundations in Iran. Mashhad's population is about 3.4 million, making it Iran's second city after Tehran. The shrine is reached on foot through any of the bast (sanctuary) gates.

— the stone

The mausoleum was first built shortly after Imam Reza's death in 818 and rebuilt under successive Ghaznavid, Timurid, and Safavid dynasties; little of the original structure remains visible above ground. The golden dome above the tomb chamber was first gilded by Shah Tahmasp in the sixteenth century. The Goharshad Mosque, on the southern side of the complex, was completed in 1418 under Timurid patronage and is among the finest works of Persian Islamic architecture. Seven major courtyards, faced in mirror-work, calligraphy, and tilework in cobalt and turquoise, surround the inner sanctum.

— the year

The shrine never closes; pilgrim numbers swell at fixed points in the Islamic calendar. The anniversary of Imam Reza's birth (11 Dhul Qa'dah) and of his martyrdom (30 Safar) draw the largest crowds. Pilgrimage from Tehran on foot, the Arba'een-adjacent Mashhad walk, has revived since the 2000s and now brings hundreds of thousands each Safar. Friday congregational prayer fills the main courtyards. Non-Muslim visitors may enter most outer courtyards and museums but not the inner sanctum; modest dress and a chador for women are required.

— where
Iran · Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan
— elevation
985 m · 3,232 ft
— position
36.2880° N · 59.6157° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Goharshad Mosque
Timurid mosque
1 km W
Nader Shah's Tomb
royal mausoleum
1 km S
Mashhad Bazaar
covered market
25 km NW
Tus
tomb of Ferdowsi
N
Imam Reza Shrine
Goharshad Mosque
Nader Shah's Tomb
Mashhad Bazaar
Tus
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Imam Reza Shrine — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Ali al-Rida, known as Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Twelver Shia Islam, who died in 818 CE near Tus. Twelver Shia revere him as the inheritor of Prophet Muhammad's spiritual authority through Ali ibn Abi Talib.

About 600,000 square metres including all courtyards, prayer halls, museums, and seminaries, making it the largest mosque in the world by area. The complex is administered by the Astan Quds Razavi foundation in Mashhad.

Estimates from Astan Quds Razavi put annual visitors at 25 to 30 million, concentrated around the birth and martyrdom anniversaries of Imam Reza and during the Islamic months of Muharram and Safar.

The first mausoleum was raised soon after Imam Reza's death in 818 CE. Successive Ghaznavid, Timurid, and Safavid rulers expanded and refaced it; the Goharshad Mosque on the south side was completed in 1418 under Timurid patronage.

Most outer courtyards and museums are open to non-Muslim visitors with modest dress and a chador for women. The inner sanctum holding the tomb itself is reserved for Muslim pilgrims; guides at the gates can clarify the route.

— about the piece in your home

It has gone to customers from the Iranian and wider Shia diaspora, including people who have made the pilgrimage themselves. A Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries well.

Persian-modern and jewel-tone rooms with cobalt, turquoise, and brass. Also at home in warm-neutral interiors where the dome's gold reads against pale plaster, walnut wood, and a deep wool rug.

Yes. The cobalt-and-gold palette reads as quiet richness against off-white walls and walnut wood, and a single Large carries the architectural weight without dominating a room or competing with patterned rugs.

A single Large reads from across the room; a 4-tile Mural fills a standard sofa width; a 9-tile Mural carries a long console or a stair landing. For a shelf or desk, the Small or Keepsake reads well.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, so steam and splash will not affect it. The satin finish also resists scratches.

A soft microfibre cloth with water is all you need. No abrasives, no ammonia-based cleaners, no scouring pads. The colour lives in the surface beneath a thin glossy finish and will not fade or scratch under normal household use.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio, painted by Reid Wender and produced in-house in Knoxville, Tennessee. No third-party licensing and no stock photography is involved at any stage of production.

— if this one stayed with you

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