Over 5 Million Pilgrims Visit Mashhad on Last Days of Safar

IQNA – More than 5.2 million pilgrims have entered the holy city of Mashhad in northeast Iran from various destinations in the past few days, an official said.

Hojat-ol-Islam Ali Askari, the deputy head of the executive headquarters of Khorasan Razavi Province’s Travel Services, put the total of travelers arriving in Mashhad from August 14 to 23 at 5,241,878.

Of those, 116,517 people arrived via the airport, 181,140 by train, 209,921 by public road transportation, 4,189,395 by private vehicle, and 545,030 on foot, he added.

The final days of the lunar Hijri month of Safar are sad occasions marked by mourning rituals in Iran and other countries. 

The 28th day of Safar, which fell on Friday, August 22, marks the demise anniversary of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hassan (AS).

The 30th day of the lunar month, August 24 this year, is marked as the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Reza (AS), the eighth Shia Imam.

Every year on this day, a large number of pilgrims visit the mausoleum of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad.

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