Alamut, the Assassins’ fortress

The original 'Assassins': Medieval warriors of Alamut

High inside a secret mountain fortress, the Nizari Ismaili, a small Muslim sect, struck terror into the powers fighting over the Holy Land in the Middle Ages. Dubbed the "Assassins" by their enemies, the Nizari held power for just 300 years, but their impact would last for centuries.

Alamut, the Assassins’ fortress, now in modern-day Iran, was a place that induced terror in the hearts of Sunni Muslim rulers. Related to eagles, the name Alamut conveys its majestic height and impregnability.
Photograph by Matjaz Krivic/Getty Images
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