Editor's Choice -- IIS -- Alamut and other Ismaili castles of Iran and Syria that saved the community

The castles inhabited by Nizari Ismailis from 1090 CE until the Mongol invasion in 1256 CE were researched by Peter Wiley over the course of 40 years. His final work, "Eagle's Nest: Ismaili Castles in Iran and Syria", published in 2005 by The Institute of Ismaili Studies, is recognised as the standard work on the subject.

The Ismaili state, from 1090 until its final collapse in 1273 in Syria (1258 in Iran), consisted of four principal semi-autonomous areas. The first was Rudbar, the home base of the Ismaili community in Iran from 1090 when Hasan-i Sabbah gained control of the castle of Alamut. The second area is Qumis, around Damghan and Semnan. The third area is Quhistan in the south of Khorasan. The fourth area was in Syria, where the Ismailis remained independent until 1273, when the last of the castles surrendered to Baybars.

Ismailis built dozens and dozens of castles and fortresses (not just handful as may be thought) in inaccessible mountainous regions of Iran and Syria for Ismailis persecuted by the Saljuqs and others during the early Middle Ages. Often superior in construction to those built by the Crusaders, they withstood numerous offensives for over two centuries until the middle of the thirteenth century when most were captured and demolished by the Mongols.

For Wiley these castles are tangible evidence of the extraordinary genius of the Ismailis of this time. Their construction itself a tribute to Ismaili expertise and science as well as exceptional administrative abilities.

The importance of these castles, in safeguarding and ensuring the continuity of the Imamat and community, for some 200 perilous years, cannot be overstated. You don't need to be an architect to marvel at the engineering and strategic brilliance behind these castles.

Today, we can honour all those who gave their lives to construct and administer these castles by spending a little of our time to learn about what they did to preserve of our community during those dangerous times.

Warm regards
Ismaili Digest