TEHRAN -- Iranian Shia Muslims are mourning the great loss of Imam Hussein (AS) on the first ten days of Muharram, with each region having its own special traditions and ceremonies. 

Tehran’s Arg-e Azadi Art and Cultural Complex is currently holding a showcase of these traditions, highlighting the importance of Ashura rituals in Iran.

Ashura is the tenth day of the lunar month of Muharram and the day Imam Hussein (AS) was martyred. 

A remarkable part of our art and culture is reflected in the words recited by mourners in the elegies, liturgies and ritual performances across the country.

And now, a wide range of ritual performances collected by over 100 experts and researchers from every corner of the country are being presented during the first ten days of Muharram beginning on November 27.

“The Ashura mourning ceremonies are being performed after the evening prayers by different regional artists coming from different cities,” Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) director Ruhollah Ahmadzadeh said on Monday.

Several lectures and poetry recitation sessions are also arranged on the side section, he added.

“Mourning for the Imam of the Shia is not just a religious ritual. After all these years, it has transformed into a rich cultural legacy that is practiced across the country every year,” he added.

He also stressed on preserving these traditions as the intangible heritage of the country and to make efforts to convey the message of the uprising of Imam Hussein (AS) to the world.

Narrating the event of Ashura in pardeh-khani, which is dedicated to tragic stories of Muslim leaders, especially the Imams of the Shia, is one of the programs arranged for the ceremony.

Troupes coming from different regions are also singing the mourning songs of their regions on all of these nights.

RM/YAW

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