Muslims across the globe marked the religious festival of Ashura with parades, marches and some Shia worshipers participating in self-flagellation in remembrance of the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson Imam Hussein at the battle of Karbala in 680 AD.

#ashura #asura #matem #kerbela #muharrem #kadirirkin A photo posted by kadir irkin (@kadirirkin) on Oct 11, 2016 at 11:39am PDT

Devotees mourned Imam Hussein for the festival, which falls on the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

Bugün günlerden aşure Rabbim bereketini koysun her daim huzuru ve sağlığı daim etsin muhabbet Baki ola inşallah #Aşure #Ashura #Muslim A photo posted by Ebu-Talha571 (@ysf_dnlr) on Oct 10, 2016 at 11:59pm PDT

While Ashura is marked by all Muslims through prayer and voluntary fasting, the festival is vital for the Shia sect of Islam where devotees reenact the martyrdom of Hussein by participating in parades.

The event, which is due to culminate on Wednesday, is commemorated by Muslim communities across the Middle East including Iran, South Asia, and also across the West.

In the British city of Manchester, crowds of Shia Muslims banged their chests outside the mosque during a ceremony for Ashura, while devotees in Athens and Bahrain used sharp objects to self-flagellate.

Imam Hussein was killed by the army of the Caliph Yazid during the Battle of Karbala, in modern day Iraq. After his death, Islam divided into two main sects – Sunnis and Shias.

#عاشوراء #kerbela #karbala#ashura كربلاء جنة الشهداء جنة الاحرار تتلثم بسوادها..وتدمي أزقتها بدماء أهل الرسالة المحمديه عليهم السلام A photo posted by SAIF ALSHARIEF (سيف الشريف) (@saif_alsharief) on Oct 11, 2016 at 11:39am PDT

Shias make up around 15 percent of the population of the Muslim population across the world.

Self-flagellation has been criticized by some Muslim leaders who have said the graphic scenes portray the event in a negative light.