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DAMASCUS, Syria - Following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine has seen an unprecedented drop in visitors.
Sayyidah Zaynab is the granddaughter of the prophet Mohammed.
For years, the shrine was guarded by pro-Iran militia groups.
"Regarding guarding the shrine of Sayyidah Zaynab, there is coordination with Tahrir Sham [HTS], Under the leadership of Abu Omar Mullah who is in charge of the Sayyidah Zaynab area. There is no danger in the shrine and there is no danger in the Sayyidah Zaynab area, everything is going well and all the places are open and everything is going normally," Jamal Awad, head of the shrine of Sayyidah Zaynab, told Rudaw.
Most of the visitors were Shiite Muslims from Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Now, only Syrian Alawites can be seen visiting the shrine. The authorities in Sayyidah Zaynab now urge people to resume their visits to the shrine.
After the breakout of the civil war in Syria in 2011, many pro-Iran groups were deployed to Syria.
The deployments were made under the pretext of protecting the Shiite holy sites.
Sayyidah Zaynab is the granddaughter of the prophet Mohammed.
For years, the shrine was guarded by pro-Iran militia groups.
"Regarding guarding the shrine of Sayyidah Zaynab, there is coordination with Tahrir Sham [HTS], Under the leadership of Abu Omar Mullah who is in charge of the Sayyidah Zaynab area. There is no danger in the shrine and there is no danger in the Sayyidah Zaynab area, everything is going well and all the places are open and everything is going normally," Jamal Awad, head of the shrine of Sayyidah Zaynab, told Rudaw.
Most of the visitors were Shiite Muslims from Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Now, only Syrian Alawites can be seen visiting the shrine. The authorities in Sayyidah Zaynab now urge people to resume their visits to the shrine.
After the breakout of the civil war in Syria in 2011, many pro-Iran groups were deployed to Syria.
The deployments were made under the pretext of protecting the Shiite holy sites.
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