The border crossings of Mehran in western Iran witness an unprecedented high number of Iranian pilgrims every year.
Since the start of Safar (second month of the Islamic lunar calendar) over 500,000 Arbaeen pilgrims have entered Iraq through Mehran border crossings.
Arba’een marks the anniversary of the 40th day following Ashura, the 10th day of the lunar month of Muharram, when Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad and the third Shia Imam, was martyred at the hands of tyrant Yazid in the seventh century.
Arbaeen walk takes place from Najaf to Karbala – from the final resting place of the ‘commander of the faithful’ to that of the ‘master of the martyrs’.
Millions of ardent lovers, in a demonstration of unfathomable love and devotion for their beloved, walk seamlessly and untiringly from one sacred city to another, day and night, braving inclement weather and ominous security threats.
MNA/6195181