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Iran Marks Beginning of Ten-Day Dawn Ceremonies

Iran Marks Beginning of Ten-Day Dawn Ceremonies
Iran Marks Beginning of Ten-Day Dawn Ceremonies

Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies kicked off across Iran on Tuesday, marking the runup to the 38th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which put an end to the monarchy of the US-backed Pahlavi regime in the country.

The festivities started all over the country at 9:33 a.m. local time, symbolically marking the precise time when the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, returned from a political exile on February 1, 1979.

A special ceremony was held at Imam Khomeini's mausoleum south of Tehran, with a host of senior state and military officials as well as thousands of people from all walks of life in attendance, Press TV reported.

Simultaneously, special ceremonies were held in more than 80 Iranian cultural centers in 60 countries to mark the first day of the Ten-Day Dawn period.

Imam Khomeini spent more than 14 years in exile, mostly in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf. He also spent some time in Turkey and France before his return to Iran.

Millions of people had converged on the capital from across the country on the day of his return. His arrival gave considerable momentum to popular protests against the Pahlavi regime, which eventually led to its overthrow 10 days later.

The festivities will culminate in nationwide rallies on February 10 this year, the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. President Hassan Rouhani and members of his Cabinet on Monday visited the mausoleum to reaffirm their allegiance to the ideals of the Islamic Republic's founder. They were accompanied by the Imam's grandson, Seyyed Hassan Khomeini.

By toppling the Pahlavi regime 38 years ago, the Iranian nation ended 2,500 years of monarchic rule in the country. The Islamic Revolution established a new political system based on Islamic values and democracy.

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