Thousands of revellers kick off iconic Spanish bull running festival - PHOTO

Tourists packed out the city's central square, throwing wine and cheering as the Pamplona mayor fired a 'chupinazo' - rocket - to declare the nine-day fiesta underway.The fiesta, which sees thrill-seeking locals and tourists run down the historic streets chased by bulls ahead of a bloody bullfight, was the subject of Hemingway's 1926 novel Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises.Celebrating the Spanish region of Navarra's patron saint - San Fermin - the festival attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world, who join in throwing wine, running the streets with the bulls and watch the traditional bullfights.The celebration begins with locals declaring 'Viva San Fermin! Gora San Fermin!', which means 'long live San Fermin', in both Spanish and Basque.And the reason for the running of the bulls, which sees them thunder along the city's historic streets, was traditionally born out of necessity as the corral where they are kept is 900 yards (825 metres) away from the bullring.(dailymail.co.uk)Bakudaily.az