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Thick Description Of Ashura Rituals In Iran: Case Study Of The Nakhl-Gardani Ritual, Gholamheidar Ebrahimbay Salami, Mostafa Mahmoudi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

A Nakhl is a huge wooden structure similar to a cypress tree in shape, which on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Iranian national and religious legends is carried ceremonially, symbolising their coffin. The origins of the ritual of Nakhl-gardani go back to ancient Iran and the martyrdom of the legendary hero Siavash. But after the coming to power of the Safavid Shiite government, this ritual was held only to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein every year on the day of Ashura in the arid and desert areas of central Iran, where the cypress trees grow. The present article …