Alamut is a deep valley in the Alborz mountains running parallel to the Caspian Sea coast. Peaks in this area rise to 4000 metres so these are seriously rugged mountains. However, as they receive reasonable rainfall from the north, the area is fertile and has numerous mountain villages supported by orchards (mainly cherries, apples and apricots), sheep farming and cropping.
While the mountains are impressive in themselves the highlight is the amazing Alamut castle perched on an impossibly high rock.
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| Cold person |
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| The castle is on top of this rock |
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| the path |
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| Alamut Village |
The castle was built around 1100AD by the leader of an Islamic sect. Not large (it reminded me of a pa site) and now mainly in ruins, it has remained a fortified outpost ever since and even now a couple of Iranian soldiers are stationed here. A narrow flight of rocky steps is the only access to the castle and in the snow and ice it was nothing short of treacherous. I kept thinking that this was no place to break a leg. While the castle itself is not that interesting the location is amazing. The views are spectacular in every direction and being winter there was no one else there.
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| Outer gate Alamut Castle |
Arranging photos on this blog is a pain. I move them into a reasonable arrangement and then when the post is published they just flick back the way they were, in a line. It seems impossible to place them side by side....
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