10 million pilgrims expected to visit Mashhad in Iran new year holidays

Some 10 million pilgrims are expected to visit the holy city of Mashhad in the upcoming new year holidays in Iran, an official said.

Some 10 million pilgrims are expected to visit the holy city of Mashhad in the upcoming new year holidays in Iran, an official said.

Seyed Hamid Hosseini, director of the pilgrims’ cultural affairs department at Khorasan Razavi province’s governor office, told media that last year, some 8.5 people visited the holy city during the holidays, marked in the second half of March.

He said the number is predicted to rise to 10 million this year.

Different organizations and bodies in Mashahd and other parts of Khorasan Razavi province are prepared to welcome the pilgrims, he added.

Mashhad, capital of Khorasan Razavi Province in northeastern Iran, is home to the shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the 8th Shia Imam. It is one of the most extensively visited pilgrimage centers in the world.

According to some estimates, more than 25 million pilgrims from all over Iran as well as other countries visit the holy city every year.