Arbaeen pilgrims on foot in the mud

The influx of pilgrims has filled hotels and sent room prices soaring. Some have even resorted to bedding down on pavements. The pilgrims press forward on the esplanade, and among alleys that snake around the two mausoleums that sparkle with gold and blue under the unrelenting sun. At night, processions are bathed in neon light. Men dressed in black jump up and down on the spot, beating their torsos to the rhythm of religious chants blaring from loudspeakers.