Alamut Castle is one of the most important historical castles in Iran, that is an ideal place for those interested in history and archeology. The fort was the residence of Hassan Sabah, the founder of the Ismaili and anti-Seljuk government, who became famous for his military activities. Alamut Castle is not only a spectacular historical attraction; it has beautiful nature that can be attractive to any tourist. Only those who climb the stairs of Alamut and taste the hard way can understand the magic of this castle.
In the history of Iran, the name Alamut is associated with the Ismaili sect and Hassan Sabah as its leader. Hassan Sabah lived in Alamut Castle for 35 years. According to historical documents, this castle was used as a prison. Archaeological excavations show which this place was not just a prison and was inhabited by people of high social status.
Alamut Castle, that has an area of 20,000 square meters. The castle is located on a rocky cliff. Due to the high altitude of the castle and the beautiful landscape around it, tourists take a lot of photos and take pictures in places that have a better view. From the top of Alamut Castle, you can see the vast plain of Gazer Khan, Alamut Valley and Andaj River.
Because tourists have endured a lot of hardship to climb the mountain, in addition to relaxing in different parts of the castle, they enjoy the good weather and the surrounding scenery.
Alamut Castle overlooks the precipice on all four sides, and due to its defensive structure, its only entrance is at the end of the northeast side. At that time, the castle was guarded by digging a moat and building a watchtower.
History has it that when Hassan Sabah was expelled from the court of the Seljuk emperor, he went to Egypt to learn the principles of the Ismaili religion. After returning to Iran, he travels all over the country to find a suitable place for his activities, that eventually selects the Alamut region. There are various narrations about the time of construction of the castle; however, it can be considered as belonging to the beginning of the Islamic period. It is said that when Hassan Sabah captured this fort, he paid the price of three thousand dinars of gold to his ousted ruler.
In 654 AH, the Mongol Holakukhan captured the fort and subsequently set fire to its library, demolishing the fortress and turning it into an exile. Later, some Ismaili followers recaptured the fort; although they did not last long. During the Safavid era, constructions were carried out in this place and it became a government prison.
During the Qajar period, Alamut Castle was destroyed and its bricks were used for construction. Excavations to find the treasure also destroyed it, and it can be said that numerous natural and unnatural events went hand in hand so that the remnants of this castle are very few. It is interesting to note that archaeologists used to think that this was just a prison; gradually, however, signs of the lives of prominent figures and high-ranking community officials were found in the area.
Experts believe that the existence of valuable buildings with tiled decorations in this place is probably related to the tomb of Hassan Sabah, and his followers tried to rebuild it.
The name of Alamut Castle consists of two parts, “Al” and “Amoot”, the first of that is taken from “Aloo” or “Allah” meaning eagle and the second means learning. According to beliefs, one of the kings of Dailami was informed about the location of the place by an eagle and thought of building a castle in it and named it “Eagle’s.
Architecture of Alamut Castle
Alamut Castle is actually composed of two castles above and below, the walls of that are made according to the condition of the rocks, and therefore their width is different in different parts. This castle has a shape similar to a sleeping camel and its length is about 120 meters and its width is between 10 to 35 meters. Materials used in this place include stone, brick, tile, wooden piles, pottery and gypsum mortar.
Of the four towers of the castle, three towers are still standing on the east, north and south sides. As we said, the only entrance to the castle is at the end of the northeast corner and a little lower than the east tower. In this place, a tunnel has been dug in the heart of the rocks, that is 6 meters long and 2 meters wide and high. Tourists can see the south tower of the castle and the southwest wall through this tunnel. To the south, a room has been dug in the heart of the cliff, possibly for guarding. There are also two rooms in the northwestern part of the castle.
To the east of the castle, there was a residence for the castle guards and their families. In addition, there are several places for animals, three small reservoirs and a number of rooms in the eastern part of Alamut Castle, which are almost destroyed.
To meet the water needs of the inhabitants of the castle, reservoirs have been dug, which is one of the most interesting reservoirs in Iran. In the water supply system of the castle, water was brought into the castle with the help of a series of springs from a spring at the foot of the mountain north of the castle.
There is a square between the eastern and western parts of the castle, and a wall around it has caused this area to be divided into two parts.
On the southern slope of the mountain, a moat two meters wide and 50 meters long was dug and filled with water coming from inside the castle so that there was no way to penetrate Alamut Castle.
Stone steps were installed at the entrance of the castle in the Qajar era, and before that, mules were used for this route. There is a pond eight meters long and five meters wide in this complex, which has been dug by hand and is still full of water with rain. Another interesting part of the castle is the old vine in the southwestern part of the pond, which is said to have been planted by Hassan Sabah himself.
There is an old cemetery called “Asbeh Kalechal” in the western part of the castle; In addition, in the adjacent hill, you can see the remains of several brick kilns.
It is said that there is a very valuable treasure in the castle; an issue that caused many looters in the Qajar period to cause great damage to the castle in order to find this treasure.
An important library was established by Hassan Sabah in this fort, that was still expanding until the Mongol invasion and the burning of Alamut fort in 654 AH. The establishment of this library is one of Hassan Sabah’s noteworthy and important actions. Various sources refer to the library, which with 400,000 volumes of books, was considered one of the most important scientific centers of that time. With these descriptions, it can be said that the Ismaili of Alamut have made a significant contribution to the fertility of Iranian civilization.
Alamut Castle is so magnificent and beautiful that every tourist takes a good photo along the way to reach it, especially after climbing to the top of the castle, to capture these pure and memorable moments forever.
Since you have to walk a long and beautiful way to the top of Alamut Castle, it is better to have suitable hiking and mountaineering shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, water, hat, warm clothes and food with you. The camera is also an integral part of this trip that can capture your memories.
