This month, Shia Muslims across the globe commemorate Ashura, one of the most dramatic events in the history of their faith. Ashura is the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, and a major commemoration of the martyrdom of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed at Karbala, in present-day Iraq, in 681 CE.
Ashura, which falls on September 20 this year, is marked with emotional street processions and passion plays re-enacting the fateful events of more than 1,300 years ago.
Muharram is a month of mourning. Black banners and flags are hung in the streets and bazaars across Iran, like this covered bazaar in Ardabil in the northwest of the country.Makeshift stalls are set up in cities across the country to provide free cups of tea to mourners. The teenager at this stall in Ardabil was surprised we only had one sugar cube in our tea. “Iranians have ten!” he laughed.Commemorations reach a fever pitch on the ninth (Tasu’a) and tenth days of Muharram. Here, young men wait with loudspeakers in preparation for a public procession in Zanjan, northwestern Iran, on Tasu’a.A procession on the eve of Ashura in Zanjan, with a backlit sign depicting the slaughter of Hussein in Karbala. Islam discourages artistic renderings of people, so the faces have been erased.Despite the often negative portrayal of Iran by Western media, it is the friendliness country we have ever visited, and felt like one of the safest, too. This was our second visit and, once again, we were struck by the effortless warmth of Iranians, like these young men in Zanjan.A public procession on the day of Ashura in Zanjan. Black-clad men parade through the streets accompanied by drumming and chanting, with some people wailing and crying. Female mourners follow, swathed in long black chadors.A man leads the crowd in rhythmic chest beating in Zanjan. In some parts of the world, Shia men flagellate themselves with chains or swords to imitate the suffering of Hussein, although this practice is banned in Iran.The processions are accompanied by emotional recitals by a madah (eulogist), lamenting Hussein’s fate. “Imam Hussein!” he cries. “Ya Hussein!” the crowd answers. The commemorations at Zanjan are broadcast live on Iranian TV.A madah in full flow on the back of a blue Zamyad, the ubiquitous Iranian pick-up truck, in Enghelab Square. Zanjan’s main square is the focal point of the city’s Ashura commemorations.A young mourner in Zanjan. Ashura is a family affair, with children enthusiastically waving black flags from the sidelines while sitting on their parents’ shoulders.The fountains in Zanjan’s main square run blood-red in commemoration of Hussein’s sacrifice during Tasu’a and Ashura.Seeing animals sacrificed on the street was the most confronting aspect of Ashura. We watched as a dozen lambs were lined up in Zanjan and, one by one, their throats slit. Bright red pools of blood spilled out onto the tarmac before the animals were taken away in the back of a Zamyad and the meat distributed to those in need.A cow patiently awaits its fate in Zanjan’s main square. A crowd soon gathered to watch the ritual, with people filming it on their smartphones.After the slaughtered cow was hauled away on a tow truck, cleaners moved in to wash the blood off the streets.Western tourists are a common sight in cities such as Tehran, Shiraz, and Isfahan, but our group of ten was a novelty in Zanjan. Sisters Sepideh and Sahar, aged 13 and 15, and their mom, all from Zanjan, eagerly asked questions about life in my native Australia.A woman clasps her chador tightly under her chin as she takes a date from a tray left out for mourners in Zanjan.Along with displaying banners and flags, some Iranians decorate their cars with images of Hussein during Muharram. We spotted this old Paykan in the village of Armagankhane, around 45 minutes’ drive from Zanjan, complete with blood dripping down the headlights.Despite the political animosity between Iran and the US, we found Iranians particularly love meeting Americans. “If an American comes to Iran despite all the negative things they hear about our country, we figure they must be a good person,” explained one Tehrani shopkeeper. One of our fellow travelers, a Californian, chats to some locals in Armagankhane.In a hangar-like building in Armagankhane, we watched a ta’zieh–a passion play re-enacting Hussein’s martyrdom that can last all day. The crowd was separated by gender, but they allowed our mixed group to sit together. From the central pavilion, the madah leads the chanting and chest beating.In a ta’zieh, the actors portraying Hussein and his followers wear green, a symbol of Islam, while the villains wear red to represent cruelty. At one stage, people in the crowd passed babies into the arena to be blessed by the actor playing Hussein.During Muharram, and especially on Tasu’a and Ashura, people offer food (known as nazri) to their neighbors and strangers. We were invited into a home in Armagankhane, where the male members of the family served up zereshk polo ba morgh (slow-cooked chicken with fluffy saffron-and-barberry rice).We sat on the floor to eat the delicious chicken and jeweled rice among our new friends. Many were visiting Armagankhane to watch the ta’zieh and were fascinated to know what we thought of the performance.As word of our presence spread around the village, a TV crew arrived at the house. They were filming a documentary about Armagankhane for Iranian TV and were keen to interview some foreigners, so Glen gamely volunteered.
Although a solemn time, traveling in Iran during Ashura was an intense and unforgettable experience.
Lara Brunt is a travel journalist and her work has appeared in publications such as The Telegraph, The Independent, Lonely Planet and Condé Nast Traveller. Originally from Australia, she is based in Berlin and has also lived and worked in London and Dubai.
Glen Pearson is a travel and landscape photographer from Liverpool, England. He now lives in Berlin and his work has appeared in publications such as South China Morning Post, Lonely Planet and The Telegraph. Glen is also a contributor to Millennium Images.
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