Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Iran Alvand
(see 24)
Iran Peyma
(see 16)
Seiro Safar
(see 16)
23
Shuttle Taxis to Ganjnameh
B3
24
Shuttle Taxis to the Bus & Minibus Terminals
B2
Sights
Esther & Mordecai Tombهعقب یاخدرم و رتسا
(Aramgah-e Ester va Mordekhay; 252 2285; 12 Zangeneh Lane; admission by dona-
tion, typically US$1 & a pen; 8am-noon & 3-6pm Sun-Thu, 8am-noon Fri)
This
vaguely Tolkeinesque, 14th-century
tomb tower
was once Iran's most important Jewish
pilgrimage site. These days visitors are few and far between and some of the Hebrew in-
scriptions have been repainted so often by those who evidently couldn't understand them,
that they have become stylised beyond readability.
Traditionally this is considered to be the burial site of Esther (for whom a book in the
Bible's Old Testament is named) and her cousin/guardian Mordecai. Jewish orphan Esther
had married Xerxes I (Biblical King Ahasuerus) who'd ditched his first wife, Vashti, for
being too much of an early feminist. Esther's better-honed feminine wiles are later said to
have saved the Jews from a massacre planned by Xerxes' commander (and Mordecai's en-
emy) Haman. With names very reminiscent of Babylonian gods, Esther (Ishtar?) and Mor-
decai (Morduk?) might be purely allegorical. Some suggest that the tower actually com-
memorated Jewish queen, Shushan-Dokht, who persuaded her husband, Yazdgerd I (r AD
399-420) to sanction a renewed Jewish colony at Hamadan.
The tower is mostly hidden behind a high grey metal barrier - ring the door bell (no
English sign) and hopefully Rabbi Rajad will scurry out to greet you, opening the 400kg
stone-slab door to the tower and telling you (in French or Farsi) to don a scull-cap
(provided) before crawling into the inner tomb area. He's an avid collector of foreign
pens, which thus make an ideal tip.
RELIGIOUS, SHRINE
Other Mausolea & Tomb towers
(Aramgah-e Buali Sina; 826 1008; admission US$1; 8am-6pm summer, 8am-4pm
winter)
Hamadan's icon is the
BuAli Sina (Avicenna) Mausoleum
, a 1954 tower that
MAUSOLEUM, MUSEUM
