Tehran – Mashhad, a sacred city of Iran, is expected to host between 6.5 million and 7 million pilgrims in the last 10 days of the Islamic Moon God Moon in Safa.
Gholamhossein Mozaffari, who heads the state’s pilgrimage services headquarters, said the city is ready to provide organized, high quality services to visitors through government resources and public participation.
“The experience over the past few years has provided a reliable foundation for managing SAFAR travel,” Mozaffari told CHTN on Saturday.
He added that the expected number of visitors is about twice as many as Iranians attending the Albain ceremony in Iraq.
The governor said coordination was made with local governments, neighboring states and Tehran authorities to ensure that the infrastructure and facilities were ready for public gatherings. Authorities use both public and private accommodation capabilities to forecast over 850,000 lodging stays over the period.
Mozafari pointed out that hospitality has become a tradition in the Mashhad community, with many residents hosting pilgrims in their homes. “This participation is the foundation of travel management,” he said.
He emphasized that road safety is a priority as police and road officials are implementing new measures. “I hope that pilgrims will experience a more peaceful and quality journey than they have in the past,” he said.
The last ten days of Safah retain a special importance to Shiite Muslims, marking the end of the 40-day martial mourning period of Imam Hussein at the Battle of Karbara in 680. Albain’s main destination is Kalbara, Iraq, but Mashhad also became a traditional pilgrimage site during this period.
Mashhad is home to the shrine of Imamreza (AS), the eighth Shiite imam, surrounded by hotels and accommodation.
In 2020, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran registered the pilgrimage tradition at the shrine of Imam Reza on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
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