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The Cemetery in Kerman
A map drawing by the British diplomat Percy Sykes who served in Kerman in 1917 is an adequate indicative of Kerman’s several remarkable historical sites such as “Ghaleh Dokhtar” (Daughter’s tower), “Ghaleh Ardeshir” (the tower of Ardeshir) and several others.
The map also shows several cemeteries, one of them called “Tandurostoon”, located in the eastern part of the city surrounded by rugged mountains in the background. Although the specific location of the Jewish cemetery is missing from the map, but it seems that since ancient time that region separating the mountains from the city served as the resting site for the inhabitants of Kerman.
In the decade of 1960s, a prominent member of the community by the name Musa Kaheni took an initiative to protect the ownership of the Jewish public places such as bathhouse, synagogue and cemetery. For this purpose, he contacted a Jewish Organization in Tehran (called Sandoogh e Meli).
Mr. Roohola Kohanim a representative of the said organization arrived in Kerman and took a report. He even met with the governor of Kerman and discussed the situation.
A few years later, in summer of 1978, Mr. Yusuf Kohan the Jewish representative in Parliament arrived in Kerman and visited the cemetery in person.
In general, the high demand of housing and construction in the cities of Iran, a few contractors resorted to illegal appropriation of cemetery parcel of land belonging to religious minorities.
Mr. Kohan boldly took action to protect the Jewish cemeteries, and he persistently petitioned to authorities and personally visited Jewish communities all over Iran.
In the aftermath of regime change in Tehran (1979) and subsequent departure of the Jewish community from Kerman, the municipality assumed the control of the cemetery.
In other words, the cemetery had been abandoned and the Municipality found this parcel of land with gravestones with Hebrew writings amid a residential area as misfit. So, they began leveling the lot and then built a public recreation park on the top.
So, today the inhabitants of Kerman take a leisure walk on a Jewish graveyard without having any idea who are buried under their feet.
It is appropriate to recall a popular QUATRAINS from the great poet Omar Khayyam and translated by Edward FitzGerald, which says:
“And this delightful Herb whose tender Green
Fledges the River’s lip on which we lean-
Ah, lean upon it lightly! For who knows
From what once lovely Lip it springs unseen!”
It is worthy to mention the fact that Dr. Habib Levi in his book “The history of Iranian Jews” quotes a source telling him that the cemetery had stones which went back to the times of Akhashverosh (king Xerxes 485-465 BC). Unfortunately, we have no second source to confirm, neither can this claim be researched through archeology under present circumstances.
Although it can be assumed that a Jewish community existed intermittently in Kerman since ancient times.
The cemetery served as a shrine and a sacred site to the community, and as a part of old tradition the community members walked close to 8 kilometers (the distance from Mohaleh to the cemetery) to offer their prayers. This tradition was usually observed during the solemn month of “Selikhot”, and the faithful had to get up very early in the morning and arrive at their destination before sunrise.
It also must be noted that in the old days when a family lost a loved one, they had to be circumspect about the timing of the funeral and burial. The laws of “Najesi” or impurity imposed by Shiite clergy did not allow Jews or members of another minority to carry a dead corpse in day light to their cemetery. They had to wait until late evening or dusk.
This rule applied to all the Jewish communities in cities or towns where every move of a non-Moslem was under the scrutiny of the mob.
A small Jewish community also existed in Sirjan and Rafsanjan in Kerman Province. As far as I know, the remnants of their cemeteries are still intact.
This article is taken from the English version of the upcoming book “Jews of Kerman” by Kurosh Mizrahi. This may only be posted on the 7Dorim site.
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
Beheshtiye Kerman – Spring 2011
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