More Than 4M Pilgrims Served at Imam Reza Shrine During Birth Anniversary Celebrations

Over four million pilgrims visited the Holy Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad during the recent birth anniversary celebrations of Imam al-Reza, peace be upon him. The ten-day event, which began with the birth anniversary of Sayyidah Masoumeh, Imam Reza’s sister (peace be upon them both), attracted millions of Iranians and Shia Muslims from other countries.

Mohammad Shaban, Deputy for Pilgrim Services, reported that the shrine operated at full capacity with the help of volunteer groups and public service tents called moukebs. Visitors were served warm meals and refreshments, including 4.6 million traditional cakes, 8 tons of chocolate, 200,000 sandwich strudels, 5,000 coconut pastries, and over 7 million cups of juice and syrup.

Special tea stations were set up in four main courtyards—Kosar, Ghadir, Imam Hassan Mojtaba, and Bagh-e-Rezvan—operating around the clock. Outside the shrine, 35 moukebs provided three full meals daily. The celebrations concluded on Friday, coinciding with Imam Reza’s birthday (peace be upon him) and Friday prayers.