In the alleys leading to the sacred site, the sound of footsteps blends with elegies while black and green flags shimmer from walls and doorways, marking the mourning of Ahl al-Bait. 
At the heart of this atmosphere stands “Imam Reza” Mukib—a warm, radiant refuge embracing weary pilgrims like saffron petals from Khorasan, northeastern Iranian province.
Inside the Mukib’s kitchen, the scent recalls Imam Reza Shrine’s guesthouse. 
The stoves burn without pause, and large pots of rice and stew simmer gently, their steam misting the high ceiling. Under the auspices of the Imam Reza shrine servants, each wearing aprons infused with the fragrance of food, meals are prepared with smiles and heartfelt care. 
The quality speaks for itself—whether in Persian or Arabic—because this is the guesthouse of the Imam, where only the finest is served so that pilgrims taste nothing but generosity.
Each year, over 120 servants travel to Samarra – a historic city in central Iraq, located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, about 125 kilometers north of Baghdad – with heartfelt devotion to the Sultan of Khorasan (a nickname for Imam Reza), supported by public contributions. 
In the kitchen alone, 30 individuals work around the clock. Daily, 10,000 hot meals are served for lunch and dinner, along with an equal number of warm breakfasts—mostly lentils—offered with tireless dedication.
But service here goes beyond meals. The Mukib’s teahouse, established about a year and two months ago under the aegis of benefactors from Mashhad and lovers of Ahl al-Bait nationwide, has become one of its most vibrant sections. Forty servants offer freshly brewed tea, cool soft drinks, and simple yet heartfelt snacks to pilgrims.
This teahouse operates not only during Arbaeen but throughout the year—365 days—with rotating groups of servants from across Iran arriving weekly to serve in this luminous space.
Here, service never stops. Only brief pauses for prayer interrupt the rhythm, and even then, only when necessary. Then the pots bubble again, and the samovars whistle. Fatigue finds no place in the kitchen; a pilgrim’s smile seems to dissolve every trace of weariness.
During Arbaeen, the Mukib becomes part of Samarra’s soul—a place where the scent of food mingles with rosewater, saffron, and blessings. Every bite carries the love of Imam Reza. Service here is not duty—it is worship. It binds hearts, bridges distances, and its reward is the grateful gaze of a pilgrim who, after hours of walking, finds refreshment and strength in a warm meal or a cup of tea to continue the journey.