Oct 18 - Check out of the hotel and drive west out of town. On the way, stop by Azadi Tower, probably the most immediately recognizable landmark of Tehran. It was the location of protests leading up to the 1979 revolution and has since continued to be a place of gathering for people wanting to make political statements. The tower itself is elegant, combining elements of ancient and Islamic architecture.
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The road to Qazvin runs west along the southern edge of the Alborz Mountains. It is a main road connecting the commuter towns in the west with Tehran, so in the morning the road coming in is like a parking lot. Near Qazvin we turn north up a road that winds up into the mountains. It is a high range with a ton of switchbacks. Descending the other side, there is a low valley with some low hanging clouds. Cross a river at Rajae Dasht and follow the valley upstream.
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Turn off the main road and up past the village of Gazor Khan. Just past here is Alamut Castle, the most important fortress of the Nizari Isma’ili sect. Initially constructed in the 800’s, it was taken over by Hassan-i-Sabbah, leader of the Isma’ilis, in 1090 CE. At the time he was being hunted by the Seljuks for subversive activity in Egypt and decided to take for himself a practically impenetrable fortress, thus making himself a new headquarters. He managed to gain support in the villages around Alamut and was able to basically walk in and tell the current leader of the fort to leave or else.
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The Isma’ilis were a legendary extremist group, who trained young men to be professional assassins. They were greatly feared, as anyone could be a target. This fear was used by the leaders of the group to gain influence with the rulers of the day. They especially harassed the rulers of the Seljuk Dynasty, and later the Mongols. Because their fortresses were so well defended, like this one, no army could dislodge them for many years. Genghis Khan never took the time to weed them out during his sweep through Persia, and the job eventually fell to his grandson Hulagu. This leader finally dislodged the Isma’ilis from here, by obtaining detailed information on their fortresses from their many other enemies.
There are many legends that swirl around the Isma’ili assassins. That they recruited young men, drugged them with hashish, put them in lavish gardens to give the illusion of having passed into paradise, giving them wine and women, etc, all to the ends of creating a completely loyal army that would die for their leader. It is difficult to know the truth of all this. What is known is that the sect was hated by many and undoubtedly this generated many stories.
The Isma’ili sect still exists today in various places around the world, and their Agha Khan today lives in India. His name is Prince Shah Karim al-Husseini, and he is the 49th imam. It is he who puts money into restoring the old fortresses and hoping to have them listed as World Heritage Sites.
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It is a long road back. Stop at Moalem Kelaye for a late lunch, and the only restaurant in town. Odette gets upset because an old man in the restaurant greets her and kisses her on the headscarf. But it is a common reaction here when people see children.
Arrive in Qazvin after dark, check into the hotel and walk around looking for dinner. Have some soup and fish in a traditional restaurant, the owners are super friendly.
Iran