Esfahan

20 Safar in Islamic lunar calendar is remembered by the Shiite Muslims as Arbain. In Arabic, Arbain means 40. Arbain marks the 40th day after the death of Imam Hossain (10 Muharram, known as Ashura) in the holy war of Qarbala against Muawiyyah dynasty led by Yazid. When I was in Pakistan, I followed the Shiite’s 40 days of mourning, since Ashura (10 Muharram) until Chehlum (20 Safar). In Pakistan, Arbain is known as Chehlum, a Farsi word which means ‘the fortieth’. Interestingly in Iran, the country where Farsi is spoken, they chose to use Arabic word to name the day. Chehlum in Pakistan is a bloody procession. Young boys paraded on streets of earthquake-torn town of Muzaffarabad, while whipping themselves with sharp knives known as zanjir. Check Chehlum Gallery and Chehlum in Muzaffarabad At that time I didn’t speak Farsi and I was unaware that the Shiites in Pakistan used huge amount of terms taken from Farsi language. Interestingly when I attended the procession in Iran, they preferred to use Arabic terms. In Esfahan I experienced a very different way of commemorating Arbain, the end of the mourning period. I went to the Imam Square. Most shops were closed. [...]