5M pilgrims mark Prophet Muhammad’s death anniversary in Iraq's Najaf
Shafaq News- Najaf
Nearly five million visitors from inside and outside Iraq have arrived in Najaf to commemorate the anniversary of the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the Imam Ali Holy Shrine reported on Wednesday.
The gathering is one of many mass Shia pilgrimages Iraq hosts each year, drawing crowds that walk for days along volunteer-run routes. The largest, the Arbaeen commemoration in Karbala, drew more than 22 million people in 2026, including more than 4 million from abroad, according to the city's shrine authorities, ranking it among the world's biggest annual religious gatherings.
The martyrdom anniversary of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, marked at his shrine in Baghdad's Kadhimiya district, drew around 15 million visitors this year, according to the shrine's administration.
Read more: Record Arbaeen crowds, thin returns: Iran's collapse drains Iraq's religious tourism
