Ten-Day Dawn celebrations have kicked off across Iran, marking the run-up to the 38th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which put an end to the monarchy of the US-backed Pahlavi regime in the country.

The festivities started all over the nation at 9:33 a.m. local time (0603 GMT), symbolically marking the precise time when the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, arrived back home from exile on February 1, 1979.

A special ceremony is also underway at Imam Khomeini’s mausoleum south of Tehran, with a host of senior state and military officials as well as thousands of people from all walks of life in attendance.

Simultaneously, special ceremonies are being held in more than 80 Iranian cultural centers in 60 countries to mark the first day of the Ten-Day Dawn period.

Imam Khomeini spent more than 14 years in exile, mostly in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf. He also spent some time in Turkey and France before his return to Iran.

Millions of people had converged on the capital from across the country on the day of his return. His arrival gave considerable momentum to popular protests against the US-backed Pahlavi regime, which eventually led to its overthrow ten days later.

The 10-Day Dawn festivities will culminate in nationwide rallies on February 10 this year, the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

On Saturday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei visited the mausoleum of the late Imam Khomeini to pay tribute to the founder of the Islamic Republic.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei visits the mausoleum of the late Imam Khomeini south of Tehran, Iran, on January 28, 2017 to pay tribute to the founder of the Islamic Republic.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and members of his cabinet also visited the mausoleum to renew their allegiance to the ideals of the Islamic Republic’s founder. They were accompanied by the Imam’s grandson, Seyyed Hassan Khomeini.

By toppling the US-backed Pahlavi regime 38 years ago, the Iranian nations ended 2,500 years of monarchic rule in the country.

The Islamic Revolution established a new political system based on Islamic values and democracy.

During the 10-Day Dawn celebrations, Iranians take part in different events and activities to mark the occasion.