A sea of black and red banners, giant portraits of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and carefully tended flower beds reportedly greeted preparations at Tehran's Grand Mosalla on Friday, as Iran readied itself for the funeral of the supreme leader who ruled the country for more than three decades.
Country's state media images from the venue showed Khamenei's coffin placed on a stage beneath butterfly-themed decorations, surrounded by hundreds of mourners. Another image carried by Press TV showed a flag from the shrine of Imam Reza placed above the coffin.
Inside the complex, large portraits of the late leader lined the walls alongside black flags symbolising mourning and red banners associated with martyrdom and vengeance, reported news agency AFP. One prominent image depicted Khamenei, then Iran's president, standing with young fighters during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war.
{{/usCountry}}Inside the complex, large portraits of the late leader lined the walls alongside black flags symbolising mourning and red banners associated with martyrdom and vengeance, reported news agency AFP. One prominent image depicted Khamenei, then Iran's president, standing with young fighters during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war.
{{/usCountry}}Security around the sprawling religious complex was visibly heightened ahead of the start of the mourning events, AFP report said. Dozens of security personnel were deployed at the main entrance, stopping and checking vehicles approaching the site. Entry to the premises remains restricted, with visitors required to present special permits before being allowed inside, the report added.
Workers prepare venue
Preparations continued under a severe heatwave, with workers planting flowers and making arrangements for the expected influx of mourners.
Hossein Moghadassi, who has been working at the site for several days, said, "we are planting flowers and watering the shrubs for the farewell ceremony of our martyred guide".
Dressed in a hat and face-covering scarf to shield himself from the heat, Moghadassi worked as trucks unloaded hundreds of boxes of drinking water. Temperatures in Tehran are forecast to exceed 35 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the first day of six days of national mourning.
"People will come from all over Iran. There will be huge crowds," Moghadassi said.
Millions expected
Iranian authorities have said they expect between 15 and 20 million people to participate in funeral events in Tehran alone.
The gates of the Grand Mosalla are scheduled to open at 6 am local time on Saturday. Dozens of ambulances and rescue vehicles have already been stationed inside the complex to support the large-scale gathering.
Black banners bearing some of Khamenei's best-known statements have been displayed throughout the site. Images of the late leader raising a clenched fist – a symbol often associated with resistance against the West – were also prominently featured.
Other banners carried messages including: "We are mourning, but we remain on our feet."
Funeral procession to travel across Iran
Organisers said the mosque at the heart of the Grand Mosalla complex will host Khamenei's remains for three days to allow mourners and pilgrims to pay their respects.
A funeral procession is scheduled to move through the streets of Tehran on Monday before heading to the holy city of Qom on Tuesday.
Khamenei is set to be buried on July 9 in Mashhad, the northeastern city where he was born and one of Iran's most important Shia pilgrimage centres.
Calls for mass turnout
As preparations continued, senior Iranian officials urged citizens to participate in large numbers.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker and the country's chief negotiator in talks with the United States, called for a massive turnout during remarks on Thursday.
"I invite all the Iranian people... to write a glorious page in the history of Islamic Iran through your presence," said Ghalibaf.
“The nation's call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world.”
(With inputs from AFP)