عاشورا

Ashura mourning intensity varies sharply by region. Mashhad (home to Imam Reza's shrine) and Qom (Shia seminary city) see the most elaborate processions, with thousands marching in chest-beating sine-zani groups. Tehran has both intense religious neighborhoods (south Tehran) and largely secular ones (north Tehran) where Ashura passes with little public observance. In Lorestan, Khuzestan, and the south generally, observance is more universal and intense. Sunni-majority regions (parts of Kurdistan, Baluchistan, and Turkmen-speaking areas) observe the day differently or not at all. Iranian Shia diaspora communities maintain mourning processions in Los Angeles, London, Toronto, and Sydney, often centered around local imambaras.