TEHRAN - This fall, Iran and Iraq will jointly host a pilgrimage car rally, a 4,000-kilometer journey from Karbala to Mashhad and back.

An official in charge of the automobile sector of the Touring and Automobile Club of Iran announced the first “pilgrimage family tourism rally” called “Haramain,” has been organized in collaboration with the Iraq Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, on the Karbala-Mashhad-Karbala route.

Mohammad-Ali Erfani stated that the official agreement for this cross-border event was signed during a meeting on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the International Automobile Federation in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Erfani further explained that the rally, designed and proposed by the Touring and Automobile Club, will commence in the upcoming fall.

“It will feature 25 vehicles and around 50 Iraqi families,” he outlined. “Starting from Karbala after visiting the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS).”

Describing the rally, Erfani noted that participants will cross the Mehran border into Iran, traveling through the provinces of Ilam, Hamedan, Tehran, Mazandaran, Golestan, North Khorasan, and Khorasan Razavi, while visiting various tourist, historical, and cultural attractions along the way.

The aim of the event, he underscored, is to strengthen bilateral relations, conduct joint cultural programs, and promote a safe driving culture with a pilgrimage approach.

According to Erfani, upon reaching Mashhad, participants will visit the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) and stay for two days.

“25 Iranian vehicles will join the group in Mashhad,” he added. “With both Iranian and Iraqi participants united, the return journey from Mashhad to Karbala will commence.”

In his final words, Erfani pinpointed that this international rally, covering nearly 4,000 kilometers of roads in both countries, will last about 15 days and will conclude in Karbala.

XF/AM