The Team• Agha Wahedi

• Nazma

• Abbas

• Maryam

Alims & Recitors

•Sheikh Bahmanpour

• Sheikh Usama al-Attar

• Sister Amina Inloes

• Brother Hussein Virji

Pre departureToday, you will be given:

Books Travel Documents Passports (for most) Luggage tags ID Tags

Pre departure If you need to ask any questions prior to departure you can call or email any one of the organisers until Thursday

Any passports not ready today will be sent to you

ITEMS TO TAKE• Winter Clothes

• Dress in layers as in the day time the sun can make it feel warm

• Ziyarat Books- Electronic Items not allowed in Haram

ITEMS TO TAKE• Pen and notebook to write notes and thoughts

• Plug converter

• String bag for haram (Provided by us)

•Flash light for those walking

ITEMS TO TAKE• Alarm clock or digital watch

• Quran with English Translation

• Dua books (including Sahifa Sajjadiyah)

• MP3 player / ipod to listen to duas/lectures on journeys around Iraq

ITEMS TO TAKE• Personal toiletries – basic shampoos and soaps produced locally will be provided by hotel

• Multivitamins

• Paracetamol

• Glucose tablets

ITEMS TO TAKE• Personal medication

• Money- CASH not Traveller Cheques or credit cards

On the day of Departure The majority of departures are from Heathrow

Ensure you arrive at airport 3 hours before departure

No documents will be given at airportMAKE SURE YOUR BAG IS TAGGED – Haj Tours Tag

On the day of Departure Take a light suitcase

You must only take 1 suitcase/checked in luggage

Maximum weight 20kg regardless of airline rules

Online check in

Individual Check in

Everyone will be checking in individually

Royal Jordanian Depart London Heathrow on RJ0112 at 16:05

Arrive Amman 00:05

Overnight stay at Amman Airport Hotel

Depart for Baghdad at 11:30 on RJ810 arriving Baghdad 13:00

Amman- Royal Jordanian

On arrival in Amman- go to the transit desk

You will be given a transit visa and, the airline will give you vouchers for your hotel and meals.

The airline will take you to the hotel and bring you back to the airport

Royal Jordanian Airport procedures can take 2-3 hours

Leave airport in small vehicles to the Airport Transportation zone

Depart for Najaf at approximately 18:00

Royal Jordanian

•Journey time to Najaf will be approximately 4-5 hours because of traffic

•Arrive Najaf at approximately 11pm on 24th December 2012

Turkish Airlines

•Depart London on 21st December 2012- TK1984

•Departing 22:30 and arriving into Istanbul 04:20 on 22nd December

•Overnight at Istanbul Hotel

Turkish Airlines

•Depart for Baghdad on 23rd December 2012 at 10:15

•Arrive Baghdad at 15:50

•Stay overnight at Qasr al Kadhimiya in Kadhmain

Turkish Airlines

• Depart Kadhmain on 24th December at 14:00 for Najaf

• Arrive Najaf at approximately 19:00

Flight delays

• Expect flight delays, as Iraq air traffic control observes greater caution than other countries

• Baghdad Airport is not very organised and so expect delays on arrival

Christmas Day• We only effectively have 1 day

in Najaf, so please make the most of the nights in the Haram of Imam Ali

• Unfortunately we have made no arrangements for Roast Turkey

Christmas Day

•After breakfast we will leave for Masjid Kufa and Wadi Salam on the way back.

•We will aim to leave no later than 8.30am

•Return to Hotel for lunch and shorth rest

Christmas Day• Depart for Masjid Sahla

makhsoos ziyarat at 14:00

• Stay in Masjid Sahla until about 20:00

• Return to hotel by 21:00

Boxing Day• We will try an secure a meeting

with Agha Sistani at 9am.

• All groups will depart for Kerbela at 14:00 on 26th December 2012

The Full Walk

•This is a long journey, and you must be sure that you are physically able to undertake it

•The walk is about 80km

The Full Walk

•Easy paced walk- 4 km/hour

•Normal pace- 5.5 km/hour

•We will start walking at 14:00 and will walk for about 2 hours and 30 minutes without a break

The Full Walk• We will stop at 16:45 for

Maghrib and then continue to walk at 17:30

• We will walk until 20:30 and then stop for dinner and overnight rest

• Distance travelled: 22km

The Full Walk On 27th December we will resume the walk at 07:00

We will walk until 9am and then take a 30 minute rest (8km)

We will continue walking until dhuhr- 11:30 and stop for namaz, lunch and some rest. (8km)

The Full Walk

We will resume walking at 13:30 and walk until 16:30 (12km)

We will stop for Namaz and rest until 18:00Continue walking from 18:00 - 21:00 and then stop for dinner and overnight rest (12km)

The Full Walk On 28th December will resume our walk at 07:00 and walk until 9 am (8km)

After some rest we will resume at 09:30 and walk until 11:30 when we will stop for Namaz. (8km)

The Full Walk We will resume our walk immediately after Namaz (12:15) and aim to arrive in Kerbela by 14:00

What to take for the walk IPOD / MP3 Player

Mobile with local SIM

String bag with light essentials only

There is plenty of food and drink along the way

Warm clothes that are not to heavy

A sleeping bag with strings (precaution)

Being prepared for the walk

We may have to sleep rough if there are no tents

Toilet facilities will be basic

Do not underestimate the physical intensity of the walk

Carry Imodium

Be prepared for intensive walking and limited rest stops

Last 10 km walk The bus journey to the last 10km will take between 3-10 hours At about 6pm you will start walking The night will be cold, so be prepared The journey will take between 3-5 hours (dependent on check points)

Arrival in Kerbela Jarash hotel in Kerbela is not an international standard 5*

Rooming lists will be prepared from the UK and will not be changed in Iraq

If you have any room mate preference- you must let us know today

Arrival in Kerbela Whilst there will be some double and triple rooms, the vast majority of people will be in quad rooms

We will do our best to accommodate families together

Day trip to Kadhmain and Samarrah

We will make a day trip to Kadhmain and Samara

Provisional dates for this will be provided within the next few days but are subject to change

First Ziyarat in Kerbela

We will endeavour to take the whole group to the haram together on the first day where Haji Usama will recite the ziyarat and museeba.

Daily Lecture Programme

Sister Amina Inloes will give daily lectures from 29th December 2012.

Amina Inloes will accompany the “full walk” group

Sheikh Bahmanpour will give daily lectures in the hotel.

Kerbela- Daily Programme

Haji Usama will recite the museeba daily after Shaikh Bahmanpours lecture and Matam and Marsiya will be recited by Hussein Virji

Haji Usama will recite ziyarat, and give a short lecture and Museeba in the haram every night

Crowds

Arbaeen is the busiest ziyarat in Kerbela

There are over 15 million people expected over the ten day period

It can take a long time to walk to the haram in the crowds

The Haram

Phones and electronic items are prohibited in the Haram.

If you take these items, you will have to store them with “amaanaat” which generally has very long queues

The Haram

Women are expected to where the Iranian style chador or Iraqi style Abaya

Khoja style chaaders are not accepted at the haram check point

The Haram

All zuwaar will have to go through multiple security check points before getting to the haram

Be prepared for long queues

Ziyarat Around Kerbela

We will visit sites outside Kerbela such as Hur and Aun by bus

We will visit sites in Kerbela such as the places of martyrdom, tents, alqama on foot

Meals We will have three meals a day in Iraq

The meals will be Iraqi food

There is not the variety of food you might be used to in places like Shaam and Saudi Arabia

If you need your comfort foods, you should take them from the UK

Arabeen Day

We will have Ziyarat Arbaeen and the museeba of Arbaeen recited in the hotel in the morning

Zuwwar will have the opportunity to go to the haram both before and after the programme in the hotel

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

All itineraries in Iraq are subject to change

Please be flexible and patient, as during Arbaeen, everything will not be in our control