Shafaq News- Al-Diwaniyah

Thousands of pilgrims continue their journey to Karbala to mark Arbaeen, following rural roads that stretch from Al-Diwaniyah through Al-Shamiyah and Kufa, where vast Amber rice (Shilib) fields and palm groves dominate the landscape at this time of year.

Arbaeen marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the third Shia Imam and a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD.

Shafaq News correspondent photographs captured pilgrims walking through the lush agricultural countryside, where the spiritual journey blends with the seasonal scenery as Husseini processions line the route, offering food, water, shelter, and other services to visitors.

The route attracts thousands of pilgrims —many on foot— from across Iraq each year, along with visitors from abroad, combining the country's fertile farmland with the tradition of volunteer service on the way to Karbala. In 2025, 21,103,524 people arrived in the city for pilgrimage.