Karbala (Arabic: كربَلاء) is a city in central Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad. Karbala has an estimated population of 700,000 people (2015). The city, best known as the location of the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, or the shrines of Imam Husayn and Abbas, is considered a holy city for Shi’ite Muslims, in the same way as Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Tens of millions of Shi’ite Muslims visit the site twice a year, rivaling Mecca and Mashhad by the number of pilgrims annually. The martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali is commemorated annually by millions of Shi’ites. Up to 8 million pilgrims visit the city to observe Ashura, which marks the anniversary of Husayn’s death, but the main event is the Arba’een, where up to 30 million visit the graves. Most of the pilgrims travel on foot from all around Iraq and more than 56 countries.
