Iran sets seven-day funeral route for Ali Khamenei
Funeral rites for Iran’s late supreme leader will run from Tehran to Qom, Najaf, Karbala and Mashhad, according to Al Jazeera.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Iran is preparing seven days of funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei, a programme expected to draw millions of mourners across Iran and Iraq, Al Jazeera reported. The schedule matters because it will be the first major state ceremony under Mojtaba Khamenei, whom Al Jazeera identified as the late leader’s son and successor.
Al Jazeera reported that Khamenei, 86, was killed with several family members in a joint US-Israeli air strike on his compound on February 28, the first day of the war between the United States, Israel and Iran. The outlet said the burial had first been planned for March but was delayed as the war continued.
Tehran opens the funeral programme
The ceremonies are due to begin on July 3 in Tehran, where Al Jazeera reported that global leaders, senior officials, religious figures and scholars are expected to pay respects. The outlet said public ceremonies will follow on July 4 and 5 at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Khamenei’s coffin, along with those of several family members, will lie in state there for public farewells, according to Al Jazeera. The Grand Mosalla is one of Iran’s largest prayer complexes and has been used for major religious and state events, the outlet reported.
Processions move to Qom
On July 6 and 7, processions are scheduled to pass through other parts of Tehran before moving to Qom, about 120km, or 75 miles, south of the capital, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet described Qom as Iran’s leading centre of Shia Islamic scholarship and one of the country’s holiest cities.
Al Jazeera reported that Qom is home to Iran’s largest seminaries, where thousands of scholars study and teach. The outlet said Khamenei also studied there after earlier religious education in Mashhad.
Iraq ceremonies planned in Najaf and Karbala
Iranian and Iraqi officials said an official reception will take place at Najaf International Airport on July 8, followed by public processions in Najaf and Karbala, according to Al Jazeera. Both Iraqi cities are major centres of Shia pilgrimage.
Al Jazeera reported that the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf is among Shia Islam’s holiest places and is believed to contain the tomb of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law and the first imam in Shia Islam. The outlet reported that Karbala’s shrines to Imam Hussein and Abbas mark the places where they were killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE, an event central to Shia religious tradition.
Burial set for Mashhad
The body is scheduled to return to Iran for burial on July 9 at the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet described Mashhad as Iran’s holiest city and said Imam Reza was the eighth imam in Shia Islam.
Al Jazeera reported that Mashhad also has personal significance for Khamenei, who was born there in 1939 and spent much of his early life in the city. The outlet said burial near one of Shia Islam’s most revered figures reflects Khamenei’s standing as both Iran’s supreme political leader and its highest religious authority.
Khamenei had led Iran from 1989 after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet said Khomeini led the Islamic revolution that ended the Pahlavi monarchy, while Khamenei went on to shape Iran’s military and paramilitary institutions.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.