Over 1.5 Million Cross Iran-Iraq Border for Arbaeen Pilgrimage
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The number of people who have crossed the border between Iran and Iraq during the past recent weeks for the Arbaeen pilgrimage has surpassed 1.5 million, an official said.
The director of Iran’s central headquarters of Arbaeen said on Thursday that more than one and a half million Iranian and foreign pilgrims have left the country via six border crossings with Iraq during the Arbaeen season, which marks the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shiite Imam.
Majid Mirahmadi noted that over 2.6 million Iranians have signed up for the pilgrimage.
While the bulk of pilgrims have opted for the Mehran border crossing to travel to Iraq, Mirahmadi advised the travelers to depart from the Tamarchin, Bashmaq and Khosravi border crossings, because temperatures at those three northern spots are as much as 20 degrees Celsius lower than the other border crossings.
This year, the border crossings of Khosravi, Mehran, Chazzabeh, Shalamcheh, Tamarchin and Bashmaq are open to the Arbaeen pilgrims.
Arbaeen, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shiite Imam.
Each year, a huge crowd of Shiites flock to the Iraqi city of Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.
Iran and Iraq have signed agreements to remove visa restrictions for the Arbaeen pilgrims, raise the level of services and facilities for the pilgrims, and enhance border security during the pilgrimage season, which will culminate in a large gathering in Karbala on August 25.