Millions of Shiite pilgrims flock to Karbala

Millions of Shiite pilgrims flock to Karbala

KARBALA, Iraq: Millions of Shiite Muslim pilgrims massed at the golden-domed mausoleums of the holy Iraqi city of Karbala on Wednesday, commemorating Arbaeen, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
The event, organised under strict security, brought together some 22 million pilgrims this year, according to official figures.
Iran hit a new participation record with four million visitors, a top security official told the Iranian news agency IRNA, up from three million last year.
Marked by Shiites, who constitute the majority in Iraq and Iran, Arbaeen ("Forty" in Arabic) marks the 40th day of mourning for the martyr Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed and a founding figure of Shiite Islam.