The tomb of Esther and mordecai in hamadan

The tomb of  Esther and mordecai in hamadan

The Tomb of Esther and Mordecai is located in Hamadan, Iran. Believed to house the remains of the biblical Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai, it is the most important pilgrimage site for Jews in iran. They are believed to have averted a massacre of Jews planned by Xerxes’ commander, Haman, and instead had Xerxes have him killed. 

The beginnings of Jewish history in Iran date back to late biblical times. The biblical books of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, contain references to the life and experiences of Jews in Persia. In the book of Ezra, the Persian kings are credited with permitting and enabling the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple; its reconstruction was carried out “according to the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia” (Ezra 6:14). This great event in Jewish history took place in the late 6th century BC, by which time there was a well-established and influential Jewish community in Persia.