Jewish neighborhoods in Iranian cities

Jewish-populated Cities 

The 7dorim website aims to preserve the cultural heritage of Iranian Jews, offering valuable information about the history, customs, and historical sites of this community. One of its important projects is the map of Jewish-populated cities, which allows users to explore the locations of cities such as Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Kashan, Hamadan, Yazd, and many other regions.

Key Features of Articles Related to Cities:

• Information about synagogues, cemeteries, historical neighborhoods, and religious sites
• Introduction of prominent figures in science, culture, and art
• A collection of photos, videos, and historical documents

This map, featuring over 134 historical cities, allows users to view details of Jewish-populated areas with zoom and click functionality. Iranian Jews have lived in various regions of Iran and beyond (such as Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, India, and China) for 2,500 years.
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Persian-Judeo Documents as an Important Source of This Map

Historical and archaeological studies show that Hebrew script is one of the oldest writing systems and has been used to write other languages such as Ancient Pahlavi, Middle Persian, Modern Persian, Aramaic, and Arabic, leading to the creation of Judeo-Persian and Judeo-Arabic. From an archaeological perspective, this script and its variations have two interesting and unique features:

1. From the earliest ancient times to the present day, this script has continuously existed throughout all intermediate periods.
2. Geographically, it was used in many cities of the ancient world, from the westernmost points of Northwest Africa (Morocco) to the easternmost cities of China and the southernmost points like Aden in Yemen or Trivandrum in southern India, having a cultural presence.

1-This temporal continuity and 2-geographical spread have made the Judeo-Persian and Hebrew scripts sometimes useful tools for archaeologists, acting as a measuring stick in uncovering and understanding many archaeological findings and events not necessarily directly related to Judaism.
(Some cities on this map contain discovered Judeo-Persian documents)
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Cultural Sphere of Greater Iran Civilization

Historically, we have a system called the Jewish people, which is embedded within and connected to a larger system known as the “Cultural Sphere of Greater Iran.” This is why, when we study the history of the Jewish people, this history encompasses all of Iran.
Researchers studying the history of the Jewish people must also examine the history of many lands and civilizations as part of a larger system, and vice versa. By studying the history of the Jewish people, we can uncover many events and insights into these civilizations. And indeed, all other ethnic groups within the “Iranian Cultural Sphere” are similarly interconnected, as if interwoven.
(Some cities within the Iranian Cultural Sphere are listed on this map)
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• Did you know that the oldest Star of David recognized on Earth is located in Persepolis?
• Or that in Afghanistan’s Ghor Province, there is a city named Firozkoh, which, like Firozkoh and Gil Yard in Iran, contains an ancient cemetery with about 805 inscriptions in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Judeo-Persian?
• Or that in the southernmost point of India, an inscription in Judeo-Persian – Pahlavi and Hebrew – was found on copper metal.
• Or did you know that the oldest document written in “Dari Persian” that we have in the world was written in Chinese on a wall, by a merchant who was from Balkh and Bukhara, whose trade route extended to China?
• And many other fascinating points.

Articles Related to This Map:

• Editor’s Note
• Judaism as One of the Ancient Peoples of the Iranian Cultural Sphere
• Judeo-Persian (Jewish Persian): A Research Resource from Ancient Iran to Today

In preparing some of the academic content for this map, the strong motivation, time, and unparalleled knowledge of numerous scholars such as Dr. Nahid Pirnazar, Professor Amnon Netzer (Naser), Dr. Ebrahim Shafiee Razzaghooni, Dr. Shervin Vakili, and many others were utilized. It is fitting to express our deep gratitude to these scholars and thinkers who illuminate history and culture with precision and pure expertise.
 


*On this map, information related to countries and cities outside of Iran has been gathered solely from the internet and requires further comprehensive and detailed review by readers.