BAGHDAD (AP) – Thousands of pilgrims dressed in black made their way on foot towards a gold-domed shrine in northwestern Baghdad on Saturday, part of a weeklong procession to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim, the great grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) the seventh Shia Imam.
Most streets in the Iraqi capital were closed due to the large number of pilgrims descending on Baghdad from mainly southern and central provinces. Tents were set up along the route leading to the shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim, who was martyred at the end of the eighth century.
A high number of Iraqi security forces were deployed to protect the annual pilgrimage, expected to culminate Sunday morning. The event usually draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world each year to Baghdad.
Vehicles were banned in the mainly Shia area of Kadhimya, where the shrine is located. The religious festival marks the anniversary of the martyrdom in the 8th Century of Moussa al-Kadhim, the seventh of the 12 Shia imams.
The commemoration has in recent years have turned into a huge event that brings the Iraqi capital to a standstill for days.