100,000 Iranian pilgrims to travel Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Recently, Syria and Iran have agreed to pave the way for religious tourism between the two countries. In the first stage of the agreement, Iran will send 100,000 Iranian pilgrims to visit the religious sites in Syria.
The Iranian state TV cited Rida Rashidian, head of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization as saying he had signed a tourism deal with the Syrian Minister of Tourism Muhammad Rami Martini.
Last week, Rashidian arrived in Damascus and was welcomed by the Iranian ambassador in Syria, the Syrian Minister of Tourism and the Syria’s head office of the Ministry of Endowments.
In a meeting between Rashidian and the Syrian officials, discussions rounded over the necessary procedures to resume tourism visits to Syria especially to the shrines of Sayyidah Zaynab and Sayyidah Ruqayya.
According to Rashidian, the Syrian government pledged to provide complete security to the Iranians pilgrims.
However, Rashidian did not mention the date the visits will start.
In 2009, Iran and Syria had cancelled the tourism visa between the two countries.
The shrine of Sayyidah Zaynab located in Rif Dimashq is considered the basic tourist attraction for Iranians.
In his turn, Martini said, Damascus is looking forward to facilitate the religious visits.
The Syrian Ministry of Tourism had encouraged Syrian tourist agencies to receive Iranian pilgrims in the foreseeable future, he added.
Previously, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper quoted an anonymous source as saying that Iranian, Iraqi and Lebanese people flocked to visit Syria despite the closure of religious sites to combat coronavirus.
In 2011, the religious groups visiting Syria from Iran stopped after the Syrian war erupted. However, it resumed in 2019 but the Covid-19 pandemic blocked it again.
The Iranian visitors who go to Syria are not only civilians but mostly Iranian-backed militias, according to Asharq al-Awsat.
News reports said large numbers of Iran-backed militias in Syria are stationed in Sayyidah Zaynab town, al-Bukamal city, and the eastern countryside of Aleppo governorate as well as other various parts of Syria.