5th Anniversary of Holy Arbaeen Pilgrimage’s Recognition on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List

In 2019, UNESCO added the Holy Arbaeen Pilgrimage in Iraq, including the services provided during this significantoccasion, to its list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage.”

Fadel Al-Ghrawi, head of the Strategic Center for Human Rights, says, “We are marking the fifth anniversary of one of the most significant historical and humanitarian decisions by UNESCO in 2019, which listed the Arbaeen Pilgrimage and the associated services on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.”

According to UNESCO, the Arbaeen Pilgrimage is a social practice that takes place in central and southern Iraq, where crowds of pilgrims converge on their way to Karbala to visit the shrine of Imam Hussein.

This social practice is a defining element of Iraq’s cultural identity and provides a significant opportunity for charitable activities through volunteer work and social cohesion. Many people contribute their time and resources to offer free services to the pilgrims along the route.

Al-Ghrawi emphasized that the Arbaeen Pilgrimage is the largest historical humanitarian marathon in modern times, with nearly 100 million Iraqi, Arab, and foreign visitors participating in the last five years.

He called on the government and parliament to pass a resolution recognizing the Holy Arbaeen Pilgrimage as a cultural heritage of Iraq and to introduce its humanitarian and ethical dimensions to the international community, reflecting the generosity and unity of the Iraqi people.