The “Gel-Mali” ceremony, which in the Luri language is sometimes called “Khare giri,” is one of the unique mourning traditions of the people of Lorestan, particularly in Khorramabad in Iran.

    In this ceremony, mourners cover their heads, faces, clothes, or even their bodies with soft soil or mud mixed with rose to express their remembrance and devotion to Imam Hussein and the martyrs of Karbala city in Iraq.

    In Khorramabad, this ceremony begins on the seventh day of Muharram (known as “Tarash-e Abbas”) and reaches its peak, particularly on the day of Ashura.

    The ceremony involves gathering firewood to light fires in order to dry their muddy and wet clothes.

    The most important time is the morning of Ashura, when mourning processions from neighborhood associations, after performing Gel-Mali, engage in chest-beating (Sineh-Zani) and chain-beating (Zanjir-Zani). In neighborhoods such as the Posht-e Bazaar and Darb-e Dallakan areas of Khorramabad, this ceremony is held with great fervor.

    This ritual is a symbol of the profound grief of the Lor people for the event of Karbala and is one of the cultural and religious landmarks of the region. It is also considered and registered as an intangible cultural heritage.

    The photos are portraits of mourners prepared for the mourning ceremony.