Tomb of Esther and Mordechai

In the centre of Hamadan, behind a low wall, stands a small domed brick building that Iranian Jews have long venerated as the tomb of Esther and Mordechai, the heroes of the biblical Book of Esther. In that story, Esther, a Jewish woman married to a Persian king, and her cousin Mordechai save the Jews of the empire from a plot to destroy them, a deliverance celebrated each year at the festival of Purim.

Jewish communities have lived in Iran for more than two and a half thousand years, and the shrine is the most important Jewish pilgrimage site in the country. Pilgrims come from across Iran, especially at Purim, and the shrine is cared for by Hamadan's Jewish community. A synagogue is attached to it.

The present building is medieval; sources differ on its date, and it has been restored more than once. Visitors stoop through a low stone door into a small vestibule and then a chamber under the dome, where two carved wooden cenotaphs stand over the graves, with Hebrew inscriptions around the walls. Who is actually buried here is a question for historians: the tradition placing Esther and Mordechai in Hamadan, ancient Ecbatana, is old, but some scholars have suggested the tomb may belong to later figures. For the faithful its meaning does not depend on that debate.

The shrine is registered as a national monument of Iran. It is open to visitors of all faiths, who are asked to dress modestly, and a visit is a quiet reminder of the long Jewish presence in Iran's cities.