AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Engineering and Technical Projects Department at Hazrat Abbas (AS) Holy Shrine has announced the completion of the first phase of rehabilitation work on the main road connecting the holy cities of Karbala and Baghdad.
"Our engineering and technical teams have successfully completed the first phase of the rehabilitation works on the main street linking Karbala and Baghdad,” Project engineer Sajjad Al-Maamar said.
This phase involved paving the street with asphalt over an area of 200,000 square meters, he added, the official website of Imam Hussein (AS) shrine reported on Sunday.
According to al-Maamar, efforts are underway to plant trees, install lighting, and furnish the area in preparation for the influx of visitors to Karbala for the Arbaeen Procession.
Arbaeen is a religious event that is observed by Shia Muslims on the fortieth day after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the 40th day of martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the third Shia imam, who was killed by the army of Yazid I in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.
Arbaeen is also known as the Ziyarat of Arbaeen, which means the visitation of Imam Hussein’s (AS) shrine in Karbala, Iraq, where his body is buried. Ziyarat is an act of pilgrimage and devotion in Shia Islam.
Arbaeen is one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world, with millions of Shia Muslims from different countries walking to Karbala from various cities in Iraq and neighboring countries. The distance can range from 80 km to 500 km or more, depending on the starting point.
This year’s Arbaeen is expected to fall on August 25, depending on the moonsighting.
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