There's a lot of pushing and shoving, and there's a real chance of getting trampled, as people who were standing calmly next to you in the line outside suddenly lose it once inside the shrine. Once inside, everyone’s goal is to touch the zarih (the outer enclosure of Imam Hussain’s grave) in midst of the huge crowd. If they find you wearing makeup, they provide you with wet tissues to wipe before you are allowed to enter the mosque and the shrine.

Security also checks if women have their heads completely covered before going inside.

Lipstick, nail polish and other cosmetics are not allowed. Women are frisked and their handbags are checked carefully. There is a separate curtained room which women have to pass through, while for men it's open. The security is strict once you enter the cool interiors of the shrine. At night when the crowd gets thinner, the roads are washed. You can buy abayas, scarves, jainamaz, sajdagah, rosary, kaffan cloth, incense holders, framed photos and mugs of Imam Hussain, Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Abbas, as well as selfie-sticks.ĭustbins, placed every few feet, are routinely emptied. Inside the narrow alleys, shops sell goods from China, Turkey and India. Outside the shrines, the main arteries are lined with restaurants, tea and juice stalls, and sweet shops. You will experience a language barrier if you do not speak or understand Arabic as only few Iraqis understand English, but you don’t necessarily have to always converse to find your way around as directions to main landmarks are marked in English. They especially come in handy since cameras and phones are not allowed inside the shrines.ĭonation boxes are placed inside the courtyard requesting charity for martyrs or soldiers who were wounded fighting ISIS. While there are arrangements to give your shoes and valuables for safekeeping, lockers are placed along the shrine’s verandahs. There are separate toilets and ablution areas for men and women. What's good is that nobody admonishes them for their behaviour. The atmosphere is peaceful, as everyone is involved in their own activities.Ĭhildren, indifferent to the sanctity of the place and the sombre mood, run around laughing and shrieking as they do. On one side, groups of men recite nohas and do matam.

You can also have your photograph taken by professionals who are usually seen scouting pilgrims. People visiting the haram can do as they please – eat, sleep, walk, pray – as long as they respect the rules laid down by caretakers of the shrine, which are mainly for security reasons and keeping the area clean.Ī common sight is people taking selfies with the shrine’s golden domes that provide the perfect backdrop. As I observed the roza of the Prophet Mohmmad's (PBUH) grandson Imam Hussain in Karbala, it seemed surreal that I was actually here.

Imam hussain ka roza