Four Million Pilgrims Mark Anniversary of 11th Shia Imam’s Martyrdom in Samarra

IQNA – Iraq’s holy city of Samarra hosted more than four million pilgrims this week to commemorate the anniversary of Imam Hasan al-Askari’s (AS) martyrdom, officials said.

The al-Askari shrine administration reported that millions of visitors from Iraq and abroad took part in the annual observance. The commemoration marks the martyrdom of Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS), the 11th Shia Imam, who was martyred in the ninth century and is buried in Samarra, north of Baghdad.

According to Iraq’s state news agency (INA), the Federal Police said a special security plan for the pilgrimage was implemented successfully. Large numbers of police were deployed in and around the city to safeguard participants and ensure the smooth flow of events.

The shrine administration stated that more than 4,190 volunteers, organized into 100 groups from across Iraq, provided services to the pilgrims. In addition, 1,240 mourning processions and service tents (known as “moukeb”) offered food, water, and support to visitors.

Officials said the combination of security measures and volunteer efforts helped the event proceed without major disruption. “Thanks to coordination and cooperation, the security and service plan for the anniversary achieved all its goals,” the shrine said in a statement.

Samarra is one of Iraq’s most significant Shia pilgrimage sites. The al-Askari shrine, where both Imam Hasan al-Askari (AS) and his father Imam Hadi (AS) are buried, has been a focal point for religious devotion for centuries.

The annual commemoration is among the largest Shia gatherings in Iraq outside of the Arbaeen pilgrimage in Karbala, which draws tens of millions of participants each year.

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