Amongst many border cities directly involved in the 1980–1988 war, Khorramshahr is highly honored as a symbol of resistance during the war against Iraqi invaders. Moreover, the port city is high on the ‘will go’ index of adventure travelers interested in such niche tourism.

At this time of the year, Iranians hold special ceremonies to honor the fallen soldiers and to cherish the strength and resistance of the people during “the Sacred Defense Week”, starting on Shahrivar 31 (September 21 this year) when Iraqi armed forces invaded western Iran.

The third of Khordad (May 24) marks the anniversary of the liberation of Khorramshahr from Saddam Hussein’s invading army back in May 1982 when Iranians laid another foundation for sacrifice, resistance, and final victory with their blood. Iranian forces recaptured the southwestern strategic port city in a landmark operation code-named Beit ol-Moqaddas.

According to Sajad Goharpak, the tourism chief of Khorramshahr, 25 spots have so far been identified in the port city which makes it a noteworthy destination when it comes to war tourism. “Khorramshahr is so great that right now we are facing a museum city because countless incidents took place in every neighborhood of the city.”

For now, the country has largely been restored, and very few signs of the war, apart from street names and murals of the martyrs on some streets, can be found.  These are the areas where domestic travelers usually go by tour packages are called “Rahiane Nour” (“The Path of Light”).

For those interested to visit an epitome of frontlines elsewhere from the former battlefields, Tehran embraces several destinations; the Sacred Defense Museum, Tehran Peace Museum, and Behesht-e Zahra—a graveyard where many of the martyrs are buried. The epic-scale Sacred Defense Museum does bargain something different in modern Iranian history where you can delve into wreckages of rockets, tanks, rifles, vessels, mortars, radars, air defense systems, grounded jets, military supplies, and artillery pieces amongst others. The museum is equipped with a state-of-the-art visual system including projections and video walls, while audio recordings relevant to each period contribute to its charm. The recreation of the liberation of the city of Khorramshahr by the means of virtual exhibits and video projections is amongst the main features of the museum where stands a replica of the Khorramshahr mosque adorned with creamy and turquoise patterned tiles.

Some tourists say they are not just interested in visiting live or former warzones out of curiosity. What motivates them is guessing the stories of people who lost their lives, being displaced, wounded, captured, or lost their loved ones in those bitter moments of the history of mankind.

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It is source of pride and honor that Khorramshahr, the city exuberant with red blood and sacrifice, was liberated on May 24, 1982. The city was liberated during the Beit-ul Moqaddas Operation which began on April 30, 1982 after ups and downs which are common in the wars. The operation liberated Hoveyzeh and Khorramshahr in a 23-day war and pushed away the enemy forces to keep cities of Ahwaz and Soosangerd away from the range of Iraq Army’s artillery fire.

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During this battle, 9,000 divisions and 19 brigades of Iraq Army were involved and Iranian forces killed and wounded over 16,000 Iraqi troops and took 19,000 hostages. Iraq President Saddam Hussein after defeats in Hoveyzeh and Khorramshhr executed some of his army’s commanders who had been several times decorated with order of merit and loyalty in the past. This victory boosted the morale of Iran’s resistance so that both Army and IRGC forces claimed the victory and the founder of the Islamic revolution and ummah Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (R) cautioned them by saying “God liberated Khorramshahr.”

And Iran with liberation of Khorramshahr changed its position in the world, and consequently views towards the country were totally changed. The rhetoric of the world mass media fully changed and May 24, 1982 once again showed the world Iranians as a “united nation”. The word which never sounded pleasant for those who used to create separation, pan-Arabism or other “pans” as they used to show Iran as a multi-ethnic country with different mentality and races in order to divide the country by resorting to Iranian nationalism and pan-Iranism.

But Iranian people through the time and during thousands of proud events like liberation of Khorramshahr have shown that in the nick of time they rush to defend and support their sovereignty and country with a national consolidation and sacrifice.

So every year since May 24, 1982,as this year is 38^th anniversary, the day is marked in order that we should not forget that many people have sacrificed their lives, and bloods have been poured for safeguarding the sovereignty of this hero-nurturing land as they have become eternal assets for the nation.

When we talk about sovereignty, it does not mean only political and military dominance over the land but it covers all values and honors of all provinces, cities and waters. Iranians living in the West Asia may have different dialogues but all are Iranians and they are proud of being Iranian because Iran is the cradle and host of Imam Mahdi (A) and they are proud of it. We still do not forget that from October 26, 1980 till May 24, 1982, and almost for 18 months Khorramshahr was under occupation of Iraqi Baath Army forces. On October 26, 1980 and when Iraqi forces entered the city, they arrogantly wrote on the walls of the city that they had come to stay but their words did not last more than two years and they suffered heavy casualties and were pushed back out of the city with humiliation and their forces were forced to escape or they were killed or taken hostages.

Some of Iraqi troops after being taken as hostages begged Iranians by saying they wanted to have Imam Khomeini’s protection. Of course their beg discredited what they had written earlier on the walls. Undoubtedly, Saddam Hussein did not know Iranians well. Iranians love foreigners till they do not think of any aggression and harm, as they have never left any aggression unanswered and for this reason their land and sovereignty has remained intact to date. The Greek, Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs and Mongols all had invaded Iran but when they wanted to leave, they were not as before because they burned in Iranian culture furnace. They either became Iranian or suffered humiliating defeats and returned to their countries like Saddam Hussein and Baath Party forces exactly did on May 24, 1982 as the wretched commander of Qadisiyyah and his troops, after 575 days of battle during the Beit-ul Moqaddas operation, were expelled out of Khorramshahr with humiliation. Of course they had earlier suffered another defeats in Dehlaviyeh, Bostan and Soosangerd. This victory is congratulated to Iran’s armed forces, both Army and IRGC, and the nation whose sweetness will be as sweet as honey for ever in the history.

 By: Hamid Reza Naghashian

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The exhibit that is being curated by Fereidun Farbud features the people’s resistance before the city was captured by Iraqi forces on October 26, 1980 during the early months of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

The liberation of Khorramshahr and daily life after the liberation of the city have also been regarded in the showcase.

Works by the photographers Jasem Ghazbanpu, Mohammad Farnud and Mohsen Tastani who covered the military operation during which Khorramshahr was liberated, have been selected for the exhibition.

Over 40 other artists, including Peyman Abdali, Saeideh Afrukhteh, Omid Shalmani, Mehdi Moqimnejad and Behruz Badruj, are collaborating in organizing the event, which will run until May 31.

The gallery can be found at 2nd Araabi St., North Kheradmand St. in the Karim Khan neighborhood.

The exhibition has been organized to celebrate the 38th liberation anniversary of Khorramshahr. The city was liberated on May 24, 1982.

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“On those very days, too, voices rose saying ‘today is time for negotiations. If not, then history will punish warmongers’,” Shamkhani wrote.

However, the security chief said, when Saddam invaded Kuwait in 1990 all realized that negotiation with the “mad villain” means permanent war and that history finally punished the real warmongers.

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Basra-Khorramshahr marine passenger line is now ready to carry pilgrims departing from Khuzestan province to the holy city of Karbala on the occasion of Arbaeen (marks forty days after the Day of Ashura, the day Imam Hussein (AS) was martyred in the Battle of Karbala).

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 Iranian Armed Forces unveiled two Iranian ballistic missiles ‘Zolfaghar’ and ‘Khorramshahr’ on Saturday.

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