SHAFAQNA – The head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization said the annual number of Iranians going on pilgrimage to the Atabat (holy sites in Iraq) will reach 5 million.
He also stressed those who serve the pilgrims of Imam Hussein (AS) do it out of their love for the Imam (AS).
Iraqi is home to several holy sites visited by millions of Shia pilgrims from around the world, especially from Iran, every year.
They include the holy mausoleums of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf and Imam Hussein (AS) and Hazrat Abbas (AS) in Karbala.
Arbaeen, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).
In Arbaeen, a huge crowd of Shias flock to Karbala to perform mourning rites.
In the past few years, around 20 million pilgrims from all over the world gathered in Karbala to attend the mourning ceremonies marking Arbaeen.