Greetings from Karbala, Iraq, where millions gathered for a Shia pilgrimage

Pilgrims came to Iraq from all over the world in August. Many Iraqi and Iranian pilgrims walked hundreds of miles in extreme heat to mark the event. Outside the shrines, the atmosphere is almost festive.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/1920x1080!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb3%2Fce%2F84d6dba74bc79c62ec808f1ba740%2Ffarflungpostcard-janearraf.jpg' alt='undefined'/><p>Pilgrims came to Iraq from all over the world in August. Many Iraqi and Iranian pilgrims walked hundreds of miles in extreme heat to mark the event. Outside the shrines, the atmosphere is almost festive.</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-138982' />