Shrine · Islamic
Karbala
Karbala Governorate, Iraq
Shrine · Islamic
Karbala Governorate, Iraq
Karbala is home to the shrine of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and is one of the most significant pilgrimage sites in Shia Islam, drawing millions of pilgrims especially during Ashura and Arbaeen.
The shrine marks the site of the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, where Husayn was killed, an event of central importance in Shia Islamic history and identity, commemorated annually and especially intensely during the Arbaeen pilgrimage.
The shrine has been rebuilt and expanded across many centuries since the 7th-century events it commemorates, and Karbala today is one of the largest annual pilgrimage gatherings in the world during Arbaeen.
This is a site of central importance to Shia Islam specifically, commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Husayn.
Iraq's security situation has been volatile in recent periods, with several governments issuing "do not travel" or high-caution advisories at various times. This is not a fixed condition — check your government's current, live travel advisory immediately before making any plans, rather than relying on general information here.