Middle EastPublished: 10 August 2026 at 19:15
Despite regional wars, more than 20 million Shia pilgrims gather in Iraq
Iraq's holy shrine city has drawn more than 20 million Shia pilgrims for the annual Arbaeen festival, even as conflicts continue to rage across the Middle East.
Iraq is hosting one of the world's largest annual religious gatherings, as more than 20 million Shia Muslim pilgrims have converged on a shrine city for the Arbaeen festival.
The massive turnout comes even though wars continue to affect various parts of the Middle East. The scale of participation suggests that regional tensions and ongoing conflicts have not deterred the faithful from taking part in this major religious observance.
Arbaeen is among the largest pilgrimages in the world, drawing millions of Shia Muslims each year from Iraq and abroad to the shrine city.
