1.3 Million Iranians in Iraq for Arbaeen: Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – More than 1.3 million Iranian pilgrims have travelled to Iraq in recent days to perform mourning rituals marking this year’s Arbaeen, Iran’s Police lieutenant commander announced on Saturday.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency in the southwestern city of Shalamcheh, General Eskandar Mo’meni predicted that the number of pilgrims going to Iraq will rise in the coming days.
He also noted that detailed planning has been made to control traffic on the roads leading to border crossings.
The general then called on the pilgrims not to flock only into the Mehran border crossing in the province of Ilam, recommending them to try those in the province of Khuzestan.
The Arbaeen mourning ceremony is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
It marks the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), Imam Hussein (AS).
Each year, pilgrims, mainly from Iraq and Iran, travel long routes on foot to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located.
Last year, around 20 million pilgrims from all over the world gathered in Karbala on Arbaeen.
