Official Stresses Importance of Cultural Activities at Arbaeen Moukebs

IQNA – Providing cultural services to pilgrims at Moukebs during the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage is important, an official said.

The head of the cultural section of the Moukebs of Arbaeen in Qom province told IQNA that planning is underway to provide cultural services at Moukebs in addition to providing food and accommodation.

Hojat-ol-Islam Yaqoub Karimi said cultural packages have been prepared to raise pilgrims’ awareness about the rituals, rules, ethics and effects of the Arbaeen pilgrimage.

Moukebs are resting places with special facilities and services for pilgrims set up on roads leading to Karbala during Arbaeen pilgrimage.

Hojat-ol-Islam Karimi noted that Iran’s 31 provinces set up 2,800 Moukebs in the country as well as in the holy cities of Karbala, Najaf, Kadhimiya, and Samarra during the Arbaeen season.

In recent years, some of the Moukebs have been set up jointly with Iraq and other countries, which have proven to be more successful, he stated.

So there are plans to have more such joint Moukebs in the upcoming Arbaeen season, he went on to say.  

Each year, a huge crowd of Shias flock to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites. Many of them also visit Imam Ali’s (AS) holy shrine in Najaf.

During the days leading to Arbaeen, millions of pilgrims from Iraq and other countries go from Najaf to Karbala on foot.

Arbaeen falls on Sunday, August 25, this year.

It comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).

In the past few years, around 20 million pilgrims from all over the world took part in the mourning ceremonies in the Iraqi holy cities marking Arbaeen.    

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