SAEDNEWS: Braving intense heat, sand storms, and precarious security situation, millions of Shia Muslims from different corners of the world converge at one place and cover vast swathes of land by foot. This annual event that has become a talking point in recent years is known as Arbaeen march, which takes place 40 days after Ashura, the day famous for the tragic event of Karbala, when Hussain, the grandson of Islam's Prophet, was killed on October 10, 680. The marathon walk on an 80 km stretch from Najaf to Karbala in Iraq took place this week with the participation of millions of people from many countries, including Turkey.
Arbaeen Walk has been widely described as the biggest annual gathering with participants from across the globe, according to Iraqi officials. The crowd has been swelling each year. People joining the march proudly hold aloft flags of their respective countries and march in unison. The majority of them are from Iran, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, India, Turkey, Syria, Indonesia, and some European countries. An official in Iraq's Interior Ministry told Anadolu Agency that this year's turnout has been unprecedented as free visas were issued to the Iranian pilgrims. The whole journey of about 50 miles from Najaf to Karbala is marked with 1,400 poles, corresponding with the number of years that have passed since the Karbala events. It takes about two days and two nights to complete the walk depending on the pace and stoppages in between.
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