INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
and his followers as remnants of their history are everywhere, hiding in the ancient sight.In the 1930s, British-Italian explorer and travel
castle nested on top of a hill, once sheltering the followers of Sabbah who was the spiritual leader of a heretical Ismaili sect, known as
Narratives say Sabbah led a bizarre, much-feared mercenary organization whose members were dispatched to murder or kidnap leading political
king who spied an eagle landing amid its rugged lofty crags and was inspired to build an impregnable fortress.The ruined structure, better
known as Alamut Castle, is now a top travel destination for both domestic and international sightseers
Alamut, draws many travelers with particular objectives in mind: to find the past in the present, to learn about other cultures, to have a
breath of fresh air, or simply to get some distance from work, to cite a few.To reach the castle, you should pass for nearly half along a
narrow road surrounded by cherry and pomegranate orchards, until a mass of gray-brown rock looms from distance with fortifications perched
atop a summit.Assassins believed their actions would transport them to paradise
Supposedly Sabbah cunningly cultivated such beliefs by getting his followers stoned on hashish (unbeknown to them) and then showing them
pro-science Islamic tradition and suggesting that the hashish tales were exaggerations designed to denigrate Ismaili Islam.The castle was
This is partly because most Ismaili records of the era were destroyed by the invading Mongols while the writings of their detractors
A copy of that recently reprinted volume makes a great companion for the trip.Here is a selection of comments that visitors to the castle
is worth going there but should not be the only visit to Alamut! I met many tourists who just came there to visit the castle only, but it is
a big mistake! Before the castle, I visited several places which were worth more!I had a tour guide friend who gave me good tips and also he
drove me to the places! His name is Farzad he has a page as Alamut eagle over here on trip advisor! (Fabian h
castle, but already a very worthwhile place to visit
The walk was relatively easy though you can hire a donkey or a horse.The castle itself is in ruins but the unfortunate feature is the
scaffolding that has been put up to give access
There are also rusty tin roofs covering much of the structure making photography almost impossible
The road itself is beautiful with mountain scenery
It takes 20 minutes to step up the stairs and you are supposed to buy a ticket
The view of Ghazor khan village and horizon from the summit is perfect.You must know that it is not the only point in Alamut if you have a
My guide took me to some amazing lesser-known places in Alamut
Not bad to contact him if you are going to have a trip to Alamut
He is helpful to travelers and speaks fluent English
guide] and had a blast! The nature in the valley, the canyons and the views from the castle are absolutely stunning!Vahid showed me all the
good places, stopped whenever I wanted to take some photos and I was also served a very delicious home-cooked lunch at a family that runs a
time to do any research in advance
the Hasan Sabah fortress ..
Make sure you have good hiking shoes as it can be very slippery ( we had lots of snow end of March) and the hike up and down is not as easy
The castle is not in very good shape and has scaffolding all around but it is still worth going up.Across the castle is your best option for
overnight: Alamut tourism guest house
It also offers lunch if you are only traveling thru
It is a basic but great location and a helpful host family.AFM
