The Castle of Assassins

Alamut Castle is one of the attractions of Qazvin province and a unique historical fortress in Iran. The Alamut Castle, located in the Alamut region in Qazvin province. The Castle was built over a cliff at an altitude of 2100 meters above sea level. The cliff is above the surrounding land about 200 meters, and the castle area is 20,000 square meters. 

The Alamut Castle was the center of the intense military activity for the Shi'a Nizari Ismai'lis under the leadership of Hassan Sabbah (Hasan ibn saba). Hassan Sabbah captured many fortresses and organized strong and rigid military groups to struggle against the government of Abbasian and the Seljuq Empire. Hassan Sabah always fought against the Abbasian caliphs and the Seljuq Empire; he never obeyed them and won in all battles. Hassan Sabah was a genius of army affairs and had many impervious castles, so his region hadn’t been captured by any military power until his government was collapsed by the Mongol invasion.

Due to its strategic position and design of the castle structure and walls, it is one of the most inaccessible castles. Another part of the castle is the existence of a pond. If we empty the water, it is filled again with water, because it installed the water supply system.

The castle of Alamut is called "the castle of Hassan" by the local people of the Alamut region. The castle consists of two parts; the western and eastern in each section, which is divided into two parts: the castle and the upper castle. The length of the castle is about 120 meters, and its width is variable from 10 to 35 meters in different locations. Unfortunately, there are not many remains of the castle, only 30 percent of The Alamut Castle, preserved.

At the top of the mountain, you will see a tunnel with a rough length of 6 meters and a height of 2 meters. You can see the remains of the south tower of the castle and its western wall when you pass through this passage. The tunnel has been used as an observation post.

The Alamut Castle overlooks the Sialan peak, so it is seen if the sky is clear. You can enjoy the stunning scenery of the valley at the bottom of the castle. On the way to the Alamut Castle, two houses serve the passengers mouthwatering local food.

You can find the rental rooms or suites in Gazer Khan Village close to the Alamut Castle. Moreover, you can find a local vendor who sells a variety of products such as Indigenous vegetables and walnut.
 

Due to having permission, foreign visitors should get there via a travel agency. The entrance fee to Alamut Castle is about 250,000 IRR for foreign visitors. The site is open from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

• What is the best time to go?
  The best time to go to the Alamut Castle is in summer between August and September. It’s better to avoid exploring there at noon because of heatstroke.

• Getting there:

The Alamut Castle is placed in northeast of the Gazer Khan Village in Qazvin province. The distance from Tehran to the Alamut castle is about 230 kilometers. It takes about four hours via Tehran-Qazvin Road. After driving about 150 kilometers, you see a signpost that is pointing in the direction towards Alamut Castle. The Alamut has a mountainous winding road with a spectacular and picturesque landscape that you can enjoy relaxing in such pleasant weather.

To get the Alamut Castle, you should pass through the steps, and it takes about 45 minutes with a slope of 35 degrees. This is a semi-heavy climbing route for amateurs. You can get a ride on a donkey or a horse, which costs about 100,000 IRR, although we don’t recommend using that!