The Blue Mosque of Mazar-i-Sharif

Mazar-i-Sharif exists because of its shrine: the Blue Mosque - the Shrine of Hazrat Ali by local devotion - spreads its courts at the city's absolute centre, every surface of portal, dome and minaret sheathed in tilework that runs turquoise through cobalt into floral lattices, among the Islamic world's great ceramic ensembles in its current form from the Timurid era onward. The famous white pigeons flock the courts in thousands - legend holds any grey newcomer turns white within forty days - and Nowruz brings the janda-raising festival that fills the city. Visits follow the shrine's customs within the country's standing arranged-travel terms.

What you actually see

• The tiled ensemble - turquoise-to-cobalt ceramics across every surface.
• The white pigeons - the courts' legendary thousands.
• The portal ivans - Timurid-tradition gateways at each axis.
• The Nowruz janda - the spring banner festival, when held.

When to go

Spring and autumn suit the plains climate, Nowruz being the great occasion. Check current travel advice before planning, and arrange the trip through specialist local operators.

Honest expectations

The frame first, always. At the shrine: this is a major active sanctuary - dress, conduct and access run on its customs entirely, with courtyard and interior permissions as granted on the day, photography by explicit consent only.

Nearby

Balkh's ancient walls and the northern plains.