Tomb of Esther and Mordechai, Pronounce as Ester and Mardkhay monument or tomb (Persian: بقعه استر و مردخای) is one of the most important shrines of the Jewish people of Iran and the world. This monument is registered as one of Iran’s cultural heritage relics. The existence of this shrine is an important factor in formation and persistence of Jewish society in Hamedan.
Ester and Mardkhay tomb is the second important shrine of the Jewish people of the world. It is a historical building which according to the documents of Britannica Encyclopedia relates to Purim holiday and to the second A.D. century.
The dome on the tomb was adopted from the style of Islamic buildings. Its construction materials include stone and brick which was built on an older building in the era of Sadrat Sa’d Al-Dowleh in the third Hijri century. Moreover, Jewish people used its surrounding land as a cemetery.
According to a historical narration, Xerxes I married a Jewish girl named Ester, who was the nephew of Mardkhay. Meanwhile, a person named Haman envied the power of Jews and demanded the massacre of Jews from Xerxes I. But Mardkhay changed the opinion of the king by the help of Ester and saved the Jewish people from massacre. Since then, Jewish people hold the Purim holiday ceremony in late Esfand and early Farvardin days in the jubilee of being saved from massacre.
