Public Story
Block 65
Block 65
Due to the failure to take timely preventive measures by responsible institutions and organizations, the prevalence of ‘Coronavirus’ became more serious in Iran, since March. Coronavirus continuously takes victims in all provinces and cities of the country. Dealing with the funeral and burial rites of the victims of this event varies according to the common traditions and cultures in each region. In the common culture of Azerbaijan province, people pay more attention to the performance of funeral and burial rites and participate in it extensively. But given the risk of a rapid outbreak of the coronavirus, the burial rites of the victims, unlike this common culture, are performed even without the presence of victims’ relatives or usually with the presence of a small number of them. The funeral of the victims of the ‘Coronavirus’ is very unaccompanied and dramatic.
I closely observed the stages of bathing, shrouding, funeral, and burial rites, also participated in it directly and photographed there for 16 days, April 7-21, 2020. When, for various reasons, photography was not possible, I made video images.
In Vadi-Rahmat Cemetery, the largest cemetery in north-western Iran, no specific section has been set aside for the burial of the victims of the ‘Coronavirus’, and families are free to determine the location of the burial. But, ‘Block 65’ is busier than other parts of the cemetery, and most of the victims are buried there. Because most ‘Coronavirus’ victims are from the low-income and middle classes, the ‘Block 65’ of the cemetery is becoming more and more crowded and expanded. ‘Block 65’ is farther and cheaper than other parts of the cemetery, and the most dramatic part of Corona's story takes place there. In ‘Block 65’ of the cemetery, I saw a scene in which the son of one of the victims sending live video images of his late father's grave to inform other family members who had not been able to attend the funeral.
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