Mid-Shaaban pilgrimage draws millions to Iraq’s Karbala

Shafaq News- Karbala/ Baghdad

Millions of pilgrims are expected to travel to the Iraqi city of Karbala on Tuesday and Wednesday to mark the mid-Shaaban pilgrimage, one of the largest annual religious gatherings in the country.

The pilgrimage commemorates the birth of Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi, the 12th Imam in Twelver Shiite belief. Shiite Muslims believe he was born in the ninth century and will reappear at the end of time to establish justice, while Sunni Muslims hold that the Mahdi has not yet been born but will emerge in the future.

In 2025, more than five million pilgrims from across Iraq and abroad participated in the mid-Shaaban visit, according to Karbala Governor Nasif Jassim Al-Khattabi at the time.

Several provinces in central and southern Iraq declared public holidays on Tuesday and Wednesday to allow residents to take part in the pilgrimage.

In preparation, security forces completed extensive preparations in Karbala and surrounding areas, including intelligence sweeps, the deployment of thermal surveillance cameras, and anti-explosives teams at key entry points, Interior Ministry spokesman Abbas Al-Bahadli told Shafaq News. Civil defense aircraft are also being used for the first time to support search-and-rescue operations during peak crowd movement.

Meanwhile, Transport Ministry spokesperson Maytham Al-Safi told our agency that more than 200 buses have also been mobilized to link provinces with Karbala, supported by reserve fleets and additional train services on major routes, including Baghdad–Karbala and lines from southern provinces.