AhlulBayt News Agency: More than 120,000 pilgrims from 98 countries visited the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad last Iranian calendar year (March 2024 – March 2025), according to an official.
The Imam Reza shrine, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Iran, hosted visitors from across the world in the last Iranian calendar year.
Mehdi Lesani, Director of Non-Iranian Pilgrims at the shrine, said most of the visitors were from West Asia. “Pilgrims from Iraq, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia made up the largest groups, followed by visitors from Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, and Central Asian countries,” he explained.
The pilgrims came from 43 countries in Asia, 35 in Europe, 21 in Africa, six in the Americas, and two in Oceania.
He added that Arabic-speaking pilgrims formed the majority, led by Iraq, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. Urdu-speaking communities from Pakistan and India came next, while Azeri-speaking pilgrims from Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Georgia ranked third.
Lesani also pointed to the wide range of services provided to foreign pilgrims. Visitors, whether in groups or individually, benefit from cultural, religious, and welfare facilities offered in the Ghadir, Dar al-Rahma, and Nations halls of the shrine.
He noted that during the final ten days of the lunar month of Safar this year, the shrine welcomed pilgrims from 23 countries.
Citing the Global Muslim Travel Index, Lesani said Iran has improved its position in recent years, moving from 14th place in 2015 to 9th in 2025.
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