More than 20 million Shia pilgrims converged on the holy city of Karbala in Iraq last week

NPR · 1:28

4,593 views · 370 likes · Aug 11, 2026

More than 20 million Shia pilgrims converged on the holy city of Karbala in Iraq last week. The massive annual pilgrimage commemorates the killing of Imam Hussein 14 centuries ago. The pilgrims included more than 3 million Iranians who were also mourning the death of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei who was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes earlier this year.…

More than 20 million Shia pilgrims converged on the holy city of Karbala in Iraq last week. The massive annual pilgrimage commemorates the killing of Imam Hussein 14 centuries ago. The pilgrims included more than 3 million Iranians who were also mourning the death of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei who was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes earlier this year.…

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