Mapping Iran’s Ali Khamenei funeral: Where mourners will gather each day

EXPLAINER

Funeral ceremonies and processions for Iran’s precocious ultimate person volition instrumentality spot betwixt July 3-9 successful respective cities crossed Iran and Iraq earlier his burial successful Mashhad.

Starting connected July 3, millions of mourners are expected to stitchery for 7 days of ceremonial ceremonies and processions for Iran’s precocious Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with spiritual rites planned successful cities crossed Iran and Iraq.

The burial, initially scheduled for March, was postponed arsenic the US and Israeli warfare with Iran dragged on.

Khamenei, 86, was killed alongside respective household members successful a associated US-Israeli aerial onslaught connected his compound connected February 28, the archetypal time of the war.

A outer representation shows achromatic fume rising and dense harm astatine the compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei [Reuters]

Who was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led Iran from 1989, pursuing the decease of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who had spearheaded the Islamic gyration a decennary earlier and became the country’s archetypal ultimate leader.

While Khomeini was the ideological unit down the gyration that ended the regularisation of the Pahlavi monarchy, Khamenei shaped the subject and paramilitary apparatus.

The ceremonial volition besides beryllium the archetypal large authorities ceremonial nether his successor and son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained retired of nationalist presumption since the US-Israel warfare began 4 months ago.

Seven days of ceremonial rites

A seven-day ceremonial programme volition instrumentality spot crossed Iran and Iraq, opening successful Tehran connected July 3 erstwhile planetary leaders, elder officials, spiritual figures and scholars from astir the satellite volition wage their respects.

July 4 and 5

On July 4 and 5, nationalist ceremonial ceremonies volition statesman successful Tehran. The coffin, on with those of respective household members, volition prevarication successful authorities astatine the Grand Mosalla for nationalist farewells. Built to accommodate ample congregations, Grand Mosalla is 1 of Iran’s largest supplication complexes and has agelong served arsenic a venue for large spiritual observances and authorities occasions.

Eid al-Fitr astatine the Grand Mosalla of Tehran, successful 2025 [Creative Commons]

July 6 and 7

On July 6 and 7, the ceremonial processions volition determination done different parts of Tehran earlier continuing to Qom, astir 120km (75 miles) southbound of the capital.

Qom is Iran’s foremost centre of Shia Islamic assistance and 1 of the holiest cities successful the country. It is location to the country’s largest seminaries, wherever thousands of scholars survey and teach, including the precocious Ali Khamenei.

A presumption of Hojjatieh seminary (bottom) and the beatified shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh (top), successful the beatified metropolis of Qom, connected March 9, 2011 [Morteza Nikoubazl/Reuters]

July 8

Iranian and Iraqi officials accidental an authoritative reception volition beryllium held astatine Najaf International Airport connected July 8, followed by nationalist processions successful the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala.

The Imam Ali Shrine successful Najaf is 1 of the holiest sites for Shias, drafting millions of pilgrims each year. It is believed to incorporate the tomb of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, the relative and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and the archetypal imam successful Shia Islam.

Worshippers stitchery for a escaped nationalist iftar astatine the courtyard of the Imam Ali Shrine during the beatified period of Ramadan, successful Najaf, Iraq, connected February 20, 2026 [Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters]

The shrines of Imam Hussein and his half-brother Abbas successful Karbala are among the holiest sites successful Shia Islam. They people the places wherever Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and Abbas were killed during the Battle of Karbala successful 680 CE, an lawsuit that lies astatine the bosom of Shia individuality and spiritual tradition.

Worshippers execute the Maghrib supplication betwixt the shrines of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas up of Ashura, 1 of the holiest days connected the Muslim calendar, successful Karbala, Iraq, connected June 25, 2026 [Ahmed Saad/Reuters]

July 9

The assemblage volition past instrumentality to Iran for the last burial ceremony, scheduled for July 9 astatine the shrine of Imam Reza successful Mashhad.

Mashhad is Iran’s holiest city. Imam Reza was the eighth Imam successful Shia Islam.

The metropolis besides holds idiosyncratic value for Ali Khamenei, who was calved successful Mashhad successful 1939 and spent overmuch of his aboriginal beingness there. He studied astatine the city’s spiritual seminaries earlier continuing his acquisition successful Qom.

Burial adjacent 1 of Shia Islam’s astir revered figures is considered a large honour and reflects Khamenei’s dual relation arsenic some Iran’s ultimate governmental person and its highest spiritual authority.

Pilgrims stitchery astatine the Imam Reza Shrine successful the metropolis of Mashhad, the superior of the state of Khorasan-e Razavi successful northeastern Iran, connected October 1, 2023 [Atta Kenare/AFP]