Tus in khorasan province

The small town of Tus, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) north of Mashhad, was once the regional capital. The Turkish and Monghol invasions, as well as its proximity to the great city of Mashhad, contributed to its decline. Today, it is best known to most Iranians as the hometown of the poet Ferdowsi, the author of the epic Shah-Namah. His mausoleum lies over what is believed to be the exact place of his death. It was built in 1933 to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the poet's death a year later. The overall shape of Ferdowsi's tomb is reminiscent of the Mausoleum of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae, and in a room underneath the tomb, there are a series of modern bas-reliefs illustrating a few episodes from the Shah-Namah.

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