TEHRAN – Clusters of foreign travelers witnessed rituals of Tasua and Ashura – the ninth and tenth days of the mourning month of Muharram - which were vividly observed by millions of people on Saturday and Sunday in various cities across Iran.

1. “Yazd, Meybod, Isfahan and Kashan are among the cities which hosted the highest numbers of foreign tourists in the days of Tasua and Ashura,” Mehr quoted a senior tourism official as saying on Monday.

Although the exact number of foreign travelers who have entered the country to see attractions of the month of Muharram is not known, but, for instance, a 100-member group from Spain has visited different parts of the country during Tasua and Ashura, Mohammad Moheb-Khodai who is deputy director for tourism at the Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization said, CHTN reported.

The holidaymakers attended various ceremonies such as Tazieh, a passion play inspired by historical and religious narrations, Sineh-Zani [beating the chest]. They also conversed with people and religious figures while taking shots of mourners to document the events.

Shia Muslims throughout the world commemorate the 7th-century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein at the Battle of Karbala. The occasion falls during the month of Muharram in the Islamic calendar.

AFM/MG