Many in the crowd were dressed in black, and some beat themselves with chains for mourning. Others carried green banners bearing the name Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad whose death in a battle in 680 A.D. is remembered at Ashura.
The ceremony climaxes tomorrow, with huge crowds expected to congregate in Kerbala and Baghdad.
Iraq has shut its land borders to pilgrims until 22 February to bolster security during the event. During Ashura last year, more than 170 people were killed in suicide bombings on pilgrims in Baghdad and Karbala.
(AP/Reuters)
The ceremony climaxes tomorrow, with huge crowds expected to congregate in Kerbala and Baghdad.
Iraq has shut its land borders to pilgrims until 22 February to bolster security during the event. During Ashura last year, more than 170 people were killed in suicide bombings on pilgrims in Baghdad and Karbala.
(AP/Reuters)
