Mahmoud Arafati

A few years ago, I saw several photos of mourning ceremonies in my paternal neighborhood “Jamaran”. Those photos provoked a pleasant feeling in me; a kind of curiosity about how our grandfathers held mourning ceremonies.

Therefore, I decided to record the events of neighborhood in order to preserve our roots for next generations.

“Fatemiyeh” refers to a Shia ritual which is held on a fixed date of each year lasting for 30 days. In this ritual, Shia Muslims mourn the death of Prophet Mohammad’s daughter.

People of Jamaran neighborhood in Tehran have long paid special attention to this ritual and each year gather at a place called Hosseiniyeh and join in activities including mourning, distributing votive food, speeches and etc.