Mohammad Taqi Bahar (December 9, 1886)

MohammadTaqi Bahar was born on December 9, 1886 in the Sarshoor District of Mashhad, Iran. Bahar is a renowned Iranian poet and scholar, who was a politician, journalist, historian and professor of literature. Bahar composed his first poem at age eight, at which time he also chose the name Bahar, meaning spring, as his pen name.

At the onset of the Constitutional Revolution of Iran (1906–1911), Bahar laid down his position of Poet Laureateship and joined the Revolutionary movement in order to establish the parliamentary system of democracy in Iran

Bahar published numerous articles in his newspapers in which he passionately exhorted his readers to stand up and help bring about the establishment of a functioning Parliament. After the triumph of the Constitutional Revolution, Bahar was repeatedly elected as Member of Parliament.

Following establishment of Tehran University in 1934, Bahar became Professor of Persian Literature at the Faculty of Literature of this University. In the course of his tenure as Professor, he dedicated most of his time to writing and editing books on Persian Literature and History. Notable amongst numerous works written and edited by Bahar are:

• History of Sistan
• A Concise History of the Political Parties
• Methodology, which concerns the variety of styles and traditions of Persian prose
• Concise Histories and Tales
• Anthology of Stories
• Two volumes of verse, consisting of his own poems

He died on April 21, 1951, at his home in Tehran. He is entombed in Zahir o-Dowleh Cemetery in Darband, located in Shemiran, north of Tehran.

Hujjatul Islam Seyed Javad Khamenei and Ali Khamenei (December 7, 1895)

Hujjatul Islam Seyed Javad Khamenei was an Iranian Shia cleric. He is the father of Seyed Ali Khamenei, Iran's present Supreme Leader. He was born in Khamaneh, East Azerbaijan province and after several years of living in Najaf and Qom, he went to Mashhad and settled near the Imam Reza's (PBUH) shrine. There he raised his family and his sons became involved in the Islamic Revolution with his son Ali eventually become our present day Supreme Leader. Hujjatul Islam Seyed Javad died on 6 July 1986 at the age of 90. He lived with simplicity and asceticism until end of his life, despite the fact that his son was a high-ranking official in the country. The street that he spent most of his life and raised his children is marked with a sign, near the Holy Shrine on Khosravi No St.

Mehdi Akhavan-Sales (March 1929)

Mehdi Akhavan-Sales was born on March 1929 in Mashhad, Iran and was a prominent Iranian poet. Sales is one of the best contemporary Persian poets. He is one of the pioneers of Free Verse (New Style Poetry) in Persian literature, particularly of modern style epics. It was his ambition, for a long time, to introduce a fresh style in the Persian poetry.

Ali al-Sistani (August 4, 1930)

Al-Sayyid Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani commonly known as Ayatollah Sistani in the Western world was born on August 4, 1930 in Mashhad, Iran, is an Iranian Shia jurisprudent who presently lives in Iraq and the head of many of the Shia seminaries in Najaf. He is the spiritual leader of Iraqi Shia Muslims and one of the most senior clerics in Shia Islam.

Hujjatul Islam & Martyr Syyed Abdul Karim Hasheminejad (1932)

Hujjatul Islam Hasheminejad was among the first arrested in the June 5, 1963 political demonstrations against the Shah. However, this did not stop him from resuming his political and religious activities after his release. He was arrested five times between 1963 and 1978 and he was last arrested on 22 June 1979. Martyr Hasheminejad was one of the main leaders of the movement known as the Islamic Revolution in Mashhad. After the Islamic Revolution, he was party secretary of the Islamic Republic in Mashhad. On 29 September 1981, a suicide bomber infiltrated the office of the party and assassinated him. His grave is hold within the premises of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH).

Dr. Ali Shariati (November 23, 1933)

Dr. Ali Shariati was born in Mazinan, a suburb of Sabzevar (west of Mashhad), Iran. He completed his elementary and high school in Mashhad. In his years at the Teachers' Training College, he encountered youth from the lower economic strata of the society and tasted the poverty and hardship that existed. This influenced and shaped his future.

At the age of eighteen, he started as a teacher and ever since he was a student he was a teacher as well. After graduating from college in 1960, on a scholarship he pursued his graduate studies in France. Dr. Shariati, an honor student, received his doctorate in sociology in 1964 from Sorbonne University.

When he returned to Iran, he was arrested at the border and imprisoned on the pretext that he had participated in political activities while studying in France. Released in 1965, he began teaching again at Mashhad University. As a Muslim sociologist, he sought to explain the problems of Muslim societies in the light of Islamic principles explaining them and discussing them with his students. Very soon, he gained popularity with the students and different social classes in Iran. For this reason, the regime out of fear discontinued his courses at the university.

He was transferred to Teheran and there, Dr. Shariati continued his very active and brilliant career. His lectures at Houssein-e-Ershad Religious Institute attracted not only six thousand students who registered in his summer classes, but also many thousands of people from different backgrounds who were fascinated by his teachings.

The first edition of his book ran over sixty thousand copies which were quickly sold-out, despite the obstructive interference by the authorities in Iran. Faced with the outstanding success of Dr. Shariati's courses, the Iranian police surrounded Houssein-e-Ershad Institute, arrested many of his followers and thereby put an end to his activities. For the second time, he underwent an eighteen-month prison term under extremely harsh conditions. Popular pressure and international protests obliged the Iranian regime to release Dr. Shariati on March 20, 1975. However, he remained under close surveillance by the SAVAk (security agents). This was no freedom at all since he could neither publish his thoughts nor contact his students. Under such stifling conditions according to the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH&F), he realized that he should migrate to another country. Successful in his attempt, he went to England but was martyred three weeks later on June 19, 1977 by the ubiquitous SAVAK.

Martyr Abdul Hussain Boronsi (1942)

He was born in 1942 in a village in Torbat-e Heydarieh County, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran. He was imprisoned and tortured by the SAVAK due to his intense resistance to the Pahlavi dynasty. After the Islamic Revolution, he joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps at the beginning of the Iraq-Iran War. During this time, he had various responsibilities in the war and was an influential commander who was able to halt the Iraqi invaders many times. Martyr Boransi is also revered because of his spirituality and humbleness. He was killed on 14 March 1985, in the operational area of Operation Badr (1985) whilst he was commanding the 18th Brigade of Javadolaemeh. However, it was impossible to recover his body. Twenty-seven years later, in 2011, during an investigation into Boronsi's death, his body without his head was found and buried on the anniversary of Fatimah bint Muhammad in Behesht-e Reza cemetery in Mashhad.

Martyr Nur-Ali Shushtari (1948)

Martyr Shushtari was born in 1948 to a poor family in Neyshabur city (west of Mashhad). Prior to the Islamic Revolution, he was associated with Ali Khamenei and became a member of the Revolutionary Guards afterward. He was the commander of the Fifth Nasr Corps and the deputy of the IRGC's command post, the commander of the Qods Headquarters in Zahedan, and the participation in the Mersad operation was among his different activities. In the last years of his life, Martyr Shushtari came to serve the people of Sistan and Baluchestan (an area known for its poverty and harsh climate) and was killed by a terrorist group in the year 2009. He was buried in Behesht-e Reza cemetery in Mashhad.

Martyr Seyyed Reza Kamyab (1950)

Martyr Seyyed Reza Kamyab was born in August 1950 in the village of Nodeh near the city of Gonabad (noertheast of Mashhad) to a cleric's family. His suggestion to Ayatollah Khamenei (at that time a seminary lecturer and political activist) regarding starting Tafsir (exegesis) classes lead to a transformation in the Mashhad seminary and the people's Revolutionary movement. The enthusiasm of the students for these classes resulted in the SAVAK's persecution, which eventually led to the closure of the classes. After the Revolution, he was the representative of the people of Mashhad in the Parliament, but before he could have the opportunity to serve his term, on August 1981, he was targeted and martyred. His grave is in the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH).

Martyr Mahmoud Kaveh (1961)

He was born on 22 May 1961 in Mashhad. His father, who attached great importance to the religious education of his son, was associated with Ali Khamenei and Abdul Kareem Hasheminejad. Alongside studying in high school, he started studying religious sciences in the Mashhad seminary.

After the Islamic Revolution, Martyr Kaveh was one of the first persons who joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Mashhad. Martyr Mahmoud Kaveh was among the key commanders of the IRGC and one of the main figures in the Iraq-Iran War. He was killed on 2 September 1986 in Ahwaz due to injuries suffered from mortar shrapnel; he was 25 at the time of his death. His body was sent to Tehran and buried at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.