Arbaeen
Arbaeen
The holy day falls on the 40th day after the anniversary of Hussein's death and marks the date when the martyr's decapitated head, which had been carried off as a trophy to Damascus, was finally reunited with his body.
The most popular way that Iranian Shi'ites observe this holiday is by carrying out ziarats —pilgrimages to a holy shrine. The holiest of shrines to Hussein lies in Karbala, the Iraqi city where the fateful seventh-century battle took place. Karbala receives most of its pilgrims from Iraq and Iran. Celebrations have seen Shi'ite-Sunni violence during periods of elevated tension between these two groups.
Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Imam Khomeini Sq.
Tehran Iran