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Lower Mesopotamia > Karbala
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Shia Muslims gather around the Husayn Mosque
Travel Warning WARNING: Karbala remains extremely dangerous and is emphatically NOT safe for tourists. Those who are going there on business are strongly advised to consult their own government first, and have an armed guard with them.

Karbala (Arabic: كربلاء‎‎) is a city in Iraqi region of Lower Mesopotamia. It is considered one of the holiest cities in the country.

Understand

Get in

Karbala city does not have any airport or railway station at this time, So the only entrance is either by bus or by cars. The terminals in every city of Iraq has cars going towards Karbala to pick up visitors. While the entrance of Karbala is well protected and check points are working hard on every single car that gets into the city.

The Downtown of Karbala is closed and the entry of vehicles into the area of 1km around the holy shrines is forbidden except for security, the shrines' personnel and residents of Downtown Karbala. Anyone else who wants to get in must put their car in a parking and get in either via the holy shrine buses or on foot.

Get around

See

  • 1 Imam Hussein Holy Shrine (مقام الامام الحسين). One of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, it contatins the grave of Hussein ibn Ali, grandson of the prophet Muhammad.
  • Hadrat Abbas Shrine Shrine. Historical building , the burial place of the brave son of Imam Ali (AS), and half-brother of Imam Hussein. The shrine is especially revered by the Shia who visit it every year, in the month of Muharram, and various other times of the year, to honour his legendary martyrdom in the Battle of Karbala.
  • 2 Al Abbas Mosque (مسجد الامام العباس, Masjid al-‘Abbās). The mausoleum of ‘Abbās ibn ‘Alī, located across from the Imām Husayn Mosque in Karbalā, Iraq. ‘Abbās was the brother of Hasan and Husayn, and was the flag-bearer for Husayn in the Battle of Karbalā. The majority of the design was done by Persian and Central Asian architects. The central pear shaped dome is an ornately decorated structure with two tall minarets on its sides. The tomb is covered with pure gold and surrounded by a trellis of silver, along with Iranian carpets rolled out on the floors.

There are also a lot of religious places around the Holy Shrines of Imam Hussen and Abulfadhl-Al-Abbas

Do

Buy

You can buy khak-e-shifa (soil of Karbala where Imam Hussain was slayed). Shi'ah Muslims consider it sacred and miraculous, and claim diseases can be treated with it.

Eat

The restaurants are spread all around the city, especially downtown, and you can find whatever you desire of halal food at suitable prices.

Drink

Sleep

  • 1 Karbala Rayhaan. Large hotel along the highway leading into Karbala.
  • Shaza Hotel Karbala. Major 5-star hotel under development, located a short ten minute walk from the holy sites. To open in 2015.

Connect

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