Muharram in Bahrain

The month-long occasion is marked by arranging a series of daily gatherings, where a cleric would to deliver sermons on Islamic teachings and Imam Hussain's life.

The mourning itself reaches its climax on the tenth day of Muharram, known as Ashura, on which the Umayyad army killed the 72 combatants who fought, including Imam Hussain, his family and close supporters.

The first outdoor Muharram procession in Bahrain is reported to have taken place in Manama in 1891, led by Mirza Muhammad Ismail, the local agent for the British-India Steam Navigation Company.

People flocked behind a heavily armed Mirza Isma'il who proudly made his way through Manama's streets in defiance of the veto imposed by the rulers on public manifestations of Shi'i devotion.

Ashura is a two-day public holiday in Bahrain, occurring on the ninth and tenth days of Muharram, respectively (though dates vary on the Gregorian calendar).