Iranian president visits al-Sayedeh Zeinab shrine

Iranian President Muhammad Khatami and members of his accompanying delegation on Thursday night visited al-Sayedeh Zeinab (daughter of Imam Ali and granddaughter of prophet Muhammad, the daughter of Fatima) shrine in Damascus, among the holiest religious sites for the Shiites. He was accompanied by Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa on this visit.

At the shrine, the Iranian president recited verses from the holy Koran. He and his companies toured the shrine's various departments. The Iranian president offered a gift to the shrine, a large copper door decorated and plated with gold for one of the shrine's four main gates.