Photos by Aboutaleb Nadri, Mehr News Agency
Photos presented here are from the Tasoua
mourning ceremonies in the village of Ziarat located in Golestan province of
Iran. According to
manan-khorasani, this village, which is a popular tourist
destination, has a different culture and architecture compared to other villages
in the province. Ziarat in Persian means pilgrimage. But it seems the name of
the village has nothing to do with an Islamic shrine located in the village.
Rather, based on ancient ruins and historic data, it seems this village has been
one of the centers of worship for the Buddhists who would gather there from all
over Asia.
Golestan is one of
the 30 provinces of Iran. It is in the north-east of the country, south
of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is Gorgan. It was split off from the
province of Mazandaran in 1997. It has a population of 1.7 million
(2005) and an area of 20,380 km square. The major townships of the
province are: Gorgan, Gonbad Kavoos, Bandar Torkaman, Bandar Gaz, Ali
Abad, Kord Kooy, Fenderesk and Minoo Dasht.
The
Mourning of Muharram is an important period of mourning in the Shi'a
branch of Islam, taking place in Muharram which is the first month of the
Islamic calendar. It is also called the Remembrance of Muharram. The event marks
the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala when Imam Husayn ibn Ali, a grandson of
Muhammad the founder of Islam, and a Shia Imam, was killed by the forces of the
second Umayad caliph Yazid I. The mourning reaches its climax on the tenth day,
known as Ashura, on which the forces of Yazid killed the 72 individuals
who fought, including Husayn and his family and supporters.
Related Articles and
Photos:
... Payvand News - 12/26/09 ... --
