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The principal attraction of this curious tomb is that it
was believed to contain the remains of Biblical Ester, the
Jewish wife of Xerxes and her uncle Mordekhai.
Ester was in fact buried in Susa, and this tomb probably
belongs to another Jewish queen, Shushan-Dokht, wife of
one of the first Sassanian kings, Yazdgerd I (399-420 AD).
The mausoleum is entered through rough stone door, which
swings open into large assembly room. Another smaller chamber, facing the twin tombs, is used
for prayers aided by ancient Torah on vellum. The two ebony tombs are covered with striking collection
of colorful clothes.
A religious relic left back to the Jewish community in
Hamadan is the mausoleum of Ester and Mordekhai. This
monument is visited every year by Jewish pilgrims. Jewish
religious ceremonies are held in it. These ceremonies,
known as "Purim Feast", are held in mid-March (Adar
13-15th) to commemorate the salvation of Jewish community
by Ester, the consort of Xerxes (486-445 BC) and her
uncle, Mordekhai, and comprises prayers, fasting and
readings of Magila scroll and ends with giving presents
and visiting one another in festivities.
According to historic narratives, Hadassa was Jewish girl,
who came to known as Ester (star) for her beauty. She was
selected the queen of Xerxes, third Achaemenian Emperor.
Mordekhai was the son of Panir, from the tribe of
Benjamin, uncle of Ester and guardian of Acheamenian
Court, in Sussa, who introduced Hadassa to the court.
Haman, the minister of Xerxes, was planning the massacre
of Jewish community in Iran, as people always did in the
during of the history. Moredkha, who had become aware of the
plot, informed the king of scheme; so, Ester married to
Xerxes, to prevent the scheme.
Owing to their position in the court, Ester and Mordekhai
were able to save Iranian Jewish community and this
mausoleum was later built in their honor, becoming an
important pilgrimage point of Iranian Jews.
The square domed brick building dates back to 13th century
AD and was built on the site of an earlier building
erected upon the order of Mongol Arqun-Shah. This
mausoleum is accessed through a hasp-equipped stone door
so shallow that one has to bend (to respect) to enter the
building. Past the entrance, there is 7x3 Sq. m.
North-South oriented room, with centrally located door,
leading to the shrine proper, which has 3.5 Sq. m. plan.
Two superb engraved wooden cases, made by Enayatolla ebn
Hazrat-Qoli Touyserkani, are visible there. These cases
are located side by side, covering the graves of Ester and
Mordekhai. Brick dome tops the shrine and its inner walls
are covered with large and small stones and stucco
inscriptions in Hebrew and Aramaic scripts.
As concerns the antecedents of Jews, settlement in Iran,
Their Book says: " And the king of Assyria had
Israelites migrate to Assyria and settle in Halah and
Khabur, at Nahr Jowsan."
Following his military campaign in to Baylonia, Cyrus the
Great (559-530 BC) set free the Jews whom Nabuchadnezzar,
the king of Baylonia, had captured in Palestine and taken
to his realm. As the famous cylindrical seal of Cyrus
attests, the order allowing their return to Jerusalem was
issued in 537 BC. It appears that, following this order,
number of them accompanied the king on his way back to
Iran and settled in Sussa, Isfahan and Hamadan. In 2002,
22 Jews live in the city of Hamadan.
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