ALWAGHT- Statistics indicate a substantial increase in the number of Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Georgian nationals traveling through Iran en route to Iraq for the Arbaeen pilgrimage.
According to official data, the number of foreign pilgrims crossing the Bazargan border in northwestern Iran en route to Iraq for the Arbaeen pilgrimage has surged to unprecedented levels.
As of August 16, over 6,000 pilgrims from Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have entered Iran through the Bazargan border crossing. On Friday alone, Iranian border officials reported that 2,401 pilgrims from these countries arrived via Bazargan.
The Bazargan border crossing, known as Gurbulak on the Turkish side, is a key land route connecting Iran to Europe. The distance from Bazargan to the Tamarchin border crossing—the northernmost border terminal between Iran and Iraq—is 450 kilometers.
The Iraqi city of Karbala, where the shrine of the third Shi’a imam, Imam Hussein (AS), is located, is currently filled with millions of devoted Muslims commemorating Arbaeen, the largest religious gathering in the world.
