Castle of Alamut

Alamut Castle or Hasan Castle is located near the village of Gāzer Khān (Qasr-e Khān), district of Rudbār-e Alamut (Qazvin region). It was built in the year 226 of the lunar Hegira and the 10 September 1090 was invaded and occupied by Hasan Sabbāh (1034 approximately-1124).

The defensive, military and majestic castle of Alamut or Hasan Sabbāh's fortress stands on a mountain, is made of stone in a single block at the height of 2163 meters above sea level and ends in deep ravines.

In its construction stone, plaster mortar, brick, wood, tiles and even terracotta were used. This fortress consisted of two parts: western, the upper and eastern fortress the great fortress. The length of the castle is about 120 meters and the width between the 10 and the 35 meters.

The rooms as a place of surveillance, the well, the manger for the quadrupeds, the cistern, the tanks for storing water and the tunnel were dug into the rock. The walls around the fortress and the towers had a high supporting wall 8 meters with a thickness of 2. Ditches had also been dug around the castle.

Between the two parts of the castle that had only one access road, there is a square and in the middle of it you can see piles of stones and earth that are the remains of many buildings and buildings that were present in this place and that now they are only ruins.

Of the towers of the castle there are still three similar. To reach the fortress that is famous as "Eagle's Nest", you need to climb about 400 stone steps.

This castle in which Hasan Sabbāh had lived for 35 years and led his followers, in the year 1256 by the will of Hulāgu Khān Mongol was burned and destroyed, after which it was used as a place of exile and prison.

In the west part of the fortress there is an ancient cemetery and on the adjacent hill are visible the remains of some kilns to cook bricks