Alamut Castle Alamut ( , transliterated " Alamūt " ) was a mountain fortress located in Alamut region in the South Caspian province of Daylam near the Rudbar region in Iran , approximately 100 km ( 60 mi ) from present - day Tehran . The name means " Eagle ' s Nest " . Under the leadership of Hasan - i Sabbah , Alamut became the site of intense activity for the Shi ' a Nizari Ismai ' li , along with a smaller subgroup known as the Assassins , between 1090 and 1256 AD . During the medieval period , the castle functioned as the major stronghold of the Nizari Ismaili state . In 1256 , Ismaili control of the fortress was lost to the invading Mongols , and its famous library holdings were destroyed when the castle ’ s library was condemned to be burned by Ata - Malik Juvayni , a servant of the Mongol court . Sources on the history and thought of the Ismailis in this period are therefore lacking and the majority extant are written by their detractors . After the Mongol destruction , the castle was of only regional significance , passing through the hands of various local powers . Today , it lies in ruins , but because of its historical significance , it is being developed by the Iranian government as a tourist destination . Origins . The origins of the Alamut fortress can be traced back to the Daylam ruler , Wahsudan , who , during a hunting trip , witnessed a soaring eagle perch down high on a rock . Realizing the tactical advantage of the location , he chose the site for the construction of a fortress , which was called " Aluh āmū [ kh ] t " likely meaning " Eagle ' s Teaching " or " Nest of Punishment " . The origin of the word " Alamut " is obscure . By 602 AD , the castle was rebuilt by a group of Zaydi ‘ Alids in whose possession it remained until the arrival of the Ismaili chief " da ’ i " ( missionary ) Hasan - i Sabbah to the castle in 1090 AD , marking the start of the Alamut period in Ismaili history . History . Following his expulsion from Egypt over his support for Nizar bin Mustansir , Hasan - i Sabbah found that his co - religionists , the Ismailis , were scattered throughout Iran , with a strong presence in the northern and eastern regions , particularly in Daylaman , Khorasan and Quhistan . The Ismailis and other occupied peoples of Iran held shared resentment for the ruling Seljuq s , who had divided the country ’ s farmland into " iqtā ’ " ( fiefs ) and levied heavy taxes upon the citizens living therein . The Seljuq " amirs " ( independent rulers ) usually held full jurisdiction and control over the districts they administered . Meanwhile , Persian artisans , craftsmen and lower classes grew increasingly dissatisfied with the Seljuq policies and heavy taxes . Hasan too , was appalled by the political and economic oppression imposed by the Sunni Seljuq ruling class on Shi ' i Muslims living across Iran . It was in this context that he embarked on a resistance movement against the Seljuqs , beginning with the search for a secure site from which to launch his revolt . The capture of Alamut . By 1090 AD , the Seljuq vizier Nizam al - Mulk had already given orders for Hasan ’ s arrest and therefore Hasan was living in hiding in the northern town of Qazvin , approximately 60 km from the Alamut castle . There , he made plans for the capture of the fortress , which was surrounded by a fertile valley whose inhabitants were mainly fellow Shi ’ i Muslims , the support of whom Hasan could easily gather for the revolt against the Seljuqs . The castle had never before been captured by military means and thus Hasan planned meticulously . Meanwhile , he dispatched his reliable supporters to the Alamut valley to begin settlements around the castle . In the summer of 1090 AD , Hasan set out from Qazvin towards Alamut on a mountainous route through Andej . He remained at Andej disguised as a schoolteacher named Dehkhoda until he was certain that a number of his supporters had settled directly below the castle in the village of Gazorkhan or had gained employment at the fortress itself . Still in disguise , Hasan made his way into the fortress , earning the trust and friendship of many of its soldiers . Careful not to attract the attention of the castle ’ s Zaydi ‘ Alid lord , Mahdi , Hasan began to attract prominent figures at Alamut to his mission . It has even been suggested that Mahdi ’ s own deputy was a secret supporter of Hasan , waiting to demonstrate his loyalty on the day that Hasan would ultimately take the castle . Earlier in the summer , Mahdi visited Qazvin , where he received strict orders from Nizam al - Mulk to find and arrest Hasan who was said to be hiding in the province of Daylaman . Upon his return to the Alamut fortress , Mahdi noticed several new servants and guards employed there . His deputy explained that illness had taken many of the castle ’ s workers and it was fortunate that other labourers were found from the neighbouring villages . Worried about the associations of these workers , Mahdi ordered his deputy to arrest anyone with connections to the Ismailis . Mahdi ’ s suspicions were confirmed when Hasan finally approached the lord of the fortress , revealing his true identity and declared that the castle now belonged to him . Immediately , Mahdi called upon the guards to arrest and remove Hasan from the castle , only to find them prepared to follow Hasan ' s every command . Astounded , he realized he had been tricked and was allowed to exit the castle freely . Before leaving however , Mahdi was given a draft of 3000 gold dinars as payment for the fortress , payable by a Seljuq officer in service to the Ismaili cause named Ra ’ is Muzaffar who honoured the payment in full . The Alamut fortress was captured from Mahdi and therefore from Seljuq control by Hasan and his supporters without resorting to any violence . Construction and intellectual development . With Alamut now in his possession , Hasan swiftly embarked on a complete re - fortification of the complex . By enhancing the walls and structure of a series of storage facilities , the fortress was to act as a self - sustaining stronghold during major confrontations . The perimeters of the rooms were lined with limestone , so as to preserve provisions to be used in times of crisis . Indeed when the Mongols invaded the fortress , Juwayni was astonished to see stored countless supplies in perfect condition to withstand a possible siege . Recent work by Iranian archeologist s at the northern gate of the fortress revealed two interconnected cellars , likely used as private spaces or for food storage . Next , Hasan took on the task of irrigating the surrounding villages of the Alamut valley . The land at valley ’ s floor was arable land , allowing for the cultivation of dry crops including barley , wheat and rice . In order to make available the maximum amount of cultivable land , the ground was terraced under Hasan ' s direction . The sloping valley was broken up into step - like platforms upon which abundant food could be cultivated . In times of need the surrounding villages were well equipped to furnish the castle with ample supplies . The construction of Alamut ' s famous library likely occurred after Hasan ' s fortification of the castle and its surrounding valley . With its astronomical instruments and rare collection of works , the library attracted scholars and scientists of a variety of religious persuasions from around the world who visited it for many months at a time , hosted by the Ismailis . By and large the writings of the Persian Ismailis , both scientific and doctrinal , did not survive beyond the Alamut period . In addition to the rich literature they had already produced in Arabic , the relocation of the Ismaili center to Iran now prompted a surge in Persian Ismaili literature . The bulk of Nizari writing produced in this period however , was lost or destroyed during the Mongol invasions . While the majority of Alamut ' s theological works on Ismailism were lost during the library ’ s destruction , a few significant writings were preserved including the major anonymous work of 1199 AD entitled " Haft Bāb - i Bābā Sayyidnā " and a number of treatises by Nasir al - Din al - Tusi . One of the earliest losses of the library came during the early years of the Imam Jalal al - Din Hasan ’ s leadership at Alamut . In keeping with his principles of bridging the gaping relations between the Persian Ismailis and the broader Sunni world , Imam Jalal al - Din Hasan invited a number of religious scholars from the town of Qazvin to visit the castle ' s library and burn any books they deemed heretical . However , it was not until under the direction of the Mongol ruler , Hulegu Khan , when the Mongols ascended to the fortress in December 1256 AD , that the Alamut library was lost . With the permission of Hulegu , Juvayni explored the library and selected a few works he deemed worthy of salvaging , before the remainder was set aflame . His choice items included copies of the Qur ' an a number of astronomical instruments and treatises , and a number of Ismaili works . An anti - Ismaili , Ata - Malik Juvayni ' s personal leanings were the sole measure of heretical content of the library ' s doctrinal works . Thus , some of the richest treatises regarding the tenets of Ismaili faith were lost with his destruction of the library . From his tour and survey of the castle , Juvayni compiled a description of Alamut that he incorporated into his chronicle of the Mongol invasions , entitled " Tarikh - i Jahangushay - i Juvaini " ( " The History of the World Conqueror " ) . Concealment and emergence : Imamat at Alamut . With the death of Hasan - i Sabbah in 1124 AD , the Alamut fortress was now in the command of the " da ’ i " Kiya Buzurg Ummid , under whose direction Ismaili - Seljuq relations improved . However , this was not without a test of the strength of Buzurg Ummid ’ s command , and consequently the Seljuqs began an offensive in 1126 AD on the Ismaili strongholds of Rudbar and Quhistan . Only after these assaults failed did the Seljuq sultan Sanjar concede to recognize the independence of the Ismaili territories . Three days before his death , Buzurg Ummid designated his son Muhammad to lead the community in the name of the Ismaili Imam . Accordingly , Muhammad succeeded Kiya Buzurg Ummid in 1138 AD . Though they expected some resistance to his rule , the fragmented Seljuqs were met with continued solidarity amongst the Ismailis , who remained unified under Muhammad ' s command . The early part of Muhammad ' s rule saw a continued low level of conflict , enabling the Nizaris to acquire and construct a number of fortresses in the Qumis and Rudbar regions , including the castles of Sa ’ adat - kuh , Mubarak - kuh , and Firuz - kuh . Muhammad designated his son Hasan , born in 1126 AD , to lead the community in the name of the Imam . Hasan was well trained in Ismaili doctrine and " ta ’ wil " ( esoteric interpretation ) . Taken by illness in 1162 AD , Muhammad was succeeded by Hasan , who was then about thirty - five years of age . Only two years after his accession , the Imam Hasan ‘ ala dhikri al - salam , apparently conducted a ceremony known as " qiyama " ( resurrection ) at the grounds of the Alamut castle , whereby the Imam would once again become visible to his community of followers in and outside of the Nizari Ismaili state . Given Juwayni ' s polemical aims , and the fact that he burned the Ismaili libraries which may have offered much more reliable testimony about the history , scholars have been dubious about his narrative but are forced to rely on it given the absence of alternative sources . Fortunately , descriptions of this event are also preserved in Rashid al - Din ’ s narrative and recounted in the Haft Bab - i Abi Ishaq , an Ismaili book of the 15th century AD . However , these are either based on Juwayni , or don ' t go into great detail . No contemporary Ismaili account of the events has survived , and it is likely that scholars will never know the exact details of this time . The Imam Hasan ‘ ala dhikrihi al - salam died only a year and a half after the declaration of the " qiyama " . According to Juwayni , he was stabbed in the Ismaili castle of Lamasar by his brother in law , Hasan Namwar . Succeeding Hasan ' ala dhikri al - salam in 1166 , was the Imam Nūr al - Dīn Muhammad , who , like his father and the imams of the pre - Alamut period , openly declared himself to his followers . Under the forty - year rule of the Imam Nur al - Din Muhammad , the doctrine of Imamate was further developed and , consistent with the tradition of Shi ' i Islam , the figure of the Imam was accorded greater importance . What little we know about the Imamate at Alamut is narrated to us by one of the greatest detractors of the Ismailis , Juwayni . According the Ismaili version of the events , in the year following the death of the Imam - Caliph al - Mustansir , a " qadi " ( judge ) by the name of Sa ’ idi travelled from Egypt to Alamut , taking with him Imam Nizar ’ s grandson , who was known as al - Hadi . Imam Hadi apparently lived in concealment in the Alamut valley , under the protection of Hasan - i Sabbah , then the chief " da ’ i " of the Nizari Ismaili state . Following him were Imam Muhtadi and Imam Qahir , also living in concealment from the general population , but in touch with the highest - ranking members of the Ismaili hierarchy ( hudūd ) . These living and visible proofs of the existence of the concealed Imams are known in Ismaili doctrine as " hujjat " ( proof ) . The period of the Imam ’ s concealment was marked by central direction from the chief " da ’ i " at the Alamut fortress across the Nizari Ismaili state . With the emergence of Imam Hasan ‘ ala dhikri al - salam however , the period of concealment " ( saṭr ) " was now complete . Within Persia , the Nizaris of the qiyama period largely disregarded their former political endeavours and became considerably isolated from the surrounding Sunni world . The death of Muhammad II however , ushered in a new era for the Nizaris , under the direction of the next Imam Jalal al - din Hasan . Imam Jalal al - Din Hasan invited Sunni scholars and jurists from across Khurasan and Iraq to visit Alamut , and even invited them to inspect the library and remove any books they found to be objectionable . During his lifetime , the Imam Jalal al - Din Hasan maintained friendly relations with the ` Abbasid Caliph al - Nasir . An alliance with the caliph of Baghdad meant greater resources for the self - defence of not only the Nizari Ismaili state , but also the broader Muslim world . After his death in 1221 , Imam Jalal al - Din Hasan was succeeded by his son ‘ Ala al - Din Muhammad . Ascending to the throne at only nine years of age , Imam ' Ala al - Din Muhammad continued his father ' s policy of maintaining close relations with the Abbasid caliph . Under the leadership of Imam ' Ala al - Din Muhammad , the need for an Imam to constantly guide the community according to the demands of the times was emphasized . Intellectual life and scholarship flourished under the rule of Imam ' Ala al - Din Muhammad . The Nizari libraries were invigorated with scholars from across Asia , fleeing from the invading Mongols . Among these intellectuals , some , including Naṣīr al - Din Tusi , were responsible for important contributions to Ismaili thought towards the end of the Alamut period . Having written on the topics of astronomy , philosophy , and theology , Tusi ' s notable contributions to Ismaili thought include " Rawdat al - Taslim " ( Paradise of Submission ) , which he composed with Hasan - i Mahmud Katib , and " Sayr va Suluk " ( The Journey ) , his spiritual autobiography . Following his two major ethical works , al - Tusi studied under the patronage of the Ismaili Imam at the Alamut library until it capitulated to the Mongols in 1256 . By the time of Imam ' Ala al - Din Muhammad ’ s murder in 1255 , the Mongols had already attacked a number of the Ismaili strongholds in Quhistan . Imam ' Ala al - Din Muhammad was succeeded by his eldest son Imam Rukn al - Din Khurshah who engaged in a long series of negotiations with invading Mongols , and under whose leadership , the Alamut castle was surrendered to the Mongols . The Mongol invasion and collapse of the Nizari Ismaili state . The expansion of Mongol power across Western Asia depended upon the conquest of the Islamic lands , the complete seizure of which would be impossible without dismantling the ardent Nizari Ismaili state . Consisting of over fifty strongholds unified under the central power of the Imam , the Nizaris represented a significant obstruction to the Mongol undertaking . The task of successively destroying these castles was assigned to Hulegu , under the direction of his brother , the Great Khan Möngke . Only after their destruction could the invading Mongols proceed to remove the Abbasid caliph from Baghdad and advance their conquest westward . Before Hulegu set forth toward Persia , the threat to the Muslim world posed by the swelling Mongol force was perceived by the Ismaili Imam ‘ Ala al - Din Muhammad , who in 1238 joined the Abbasid caliph , al - Mustansir , in appealing to the European monarchs of England and France to coalesce in a Christian - Muslim alliance against the Mongols . Although the European rulers did not accept this proposal , the Ismaili Imam partnered again with the Sunni caliph in 1246 AD when the two journeyed to the enthronement of the Great Khan Güyük in Mongolia . Their joint expressions of peace were not acknowledged by the Mongol lord and shortly after in 1252 AD , the Mongols arrived in Quhistan . The first Mongol attack on the Ismailis came in April 1253 AD , when many of the Quhistani fortresses were lost to the Christian Mongol general Ket - Buqa . By May , the Mongol troops had proceeded to the fortress of Girdkuh where Ismaili forces held ground for several months . In December , a cholera outbreak within the castle weakened the Ismaili defences . Reinforcements quickly arrived from the neighbouring Alamut fortress and thwarted the attacking Mongols , killing several hundred of Ket - Buqa ’ s troops . The castle was saved but the subsequent Mongol assaults on the towns of Tun and Tus resulted in massacres . Across Khurasan the Mongols imposed tyrannical laws and were responsible for the mass displacement of the province ’ s population . After the massacres at Tun in 1256 AD , Hulegu became directly involved in the Mongol campaign to eliminate the Ismaili centres of power . From a lavish tent erected for him at Tus , Hulegu summoned the Ismaili governor at Quhistan , Nasir al - Din Muhtasham and demanded the surrender of all fortresses in his province . Nasir al - Din explained that submission could only come at the Imam ' s orders and that he , as governor , was powerless to seek the Ismailis ' compliance . Meanwhile , Imam ‘ Ala al - Din Mohammad , who had been murdered , was succeeded by his son Rukn al - Din in 1255 AD . In 1256 AD , Rukn al - Din commenced a series of gestures demonstrating his submission to the Mongols . In a show of his compliance and at the demand of Hulegu , Rukn al - Din began the dismantling process at Alamut , Maymundiz and Lamasar , removing towers and battlements . However as winter approached , Hulegu took these gestures to be a means of delaying his seizure of the castles and on November 8 , 1256 , the Mongol troops quickly encircled the Maymundiz fortress and residence of the Imam . After four days of preliminary bombardment with significant casualties for both sides , the Mongols assembled their mangonel s around the castle in preparation for a direct siege . There was still no snow on the ground and the attacks proceeded , forcing Rukn al - Din to declare his surrender in exchange for his and his family ’ s safe passage . A " yarligh " ( decree ) was drafted and taken to the Imam by Juwayni . After another bombardment , Rukn al - Din descended from Maymundiz on the 19th day of November . In the hands of Hulegu , Rukn al - Din was forced to send the message of surrender to all the castles in the Alamut valley . At the Alamut fortress , the Mongol Prince Balaghai led his troops to the base of the castle , calling for the surrender of the commander of Alamut , Muqaddam al - Din . It was decreed that should he surrender and pledge his allegiance to the Great Khan within one day , the lives of those at Alamut would be spared . Maymundiz was reluctant and wondered if the Imam ’ s message of surrender was an actually act of duress . In obedience to the Imam , Muqaddam and his men descended from the fortress , and the Mongol army entered Alamut and began its demolition . Compared with Maymundiz , the Alamut fortress was far better fortified and could have long withstood the assaults of the Mongol army . However , the castle was relatively small in size and was easily surrounded by the Mongols . Still , the most significant factor in determining the defeat of the Ismailis at Alamut was the command by the Imam for the surrender of the castles in the valley . Many of the other fortresses had already complied , therefore not only would Muqaddam ’ s resistance have resulted in a direct battle for the castle , but the explicit violation of the instructions of the Imam , which would impact significantly on the Ismaili commander ’ s oath of total obedience to the Imam . The conquest of the Ismaili castles was critical to the Mongol ’ s political and territorial expansion westward . However , it was depicted by Juwayni as a " matter of divine punishment upon the heretics [ at ] the nest of satan " . Juwayni ’ s depiction of the fall of the Nizari Ismaili state reveals the religious leanings of the anti - Ismaili historian . When Rukn al - Din arrived in Mongolia with promises to persuade the prevailing Ismaili fortresses to surrender , the Great Khan Mongke no longer believed the Imam to be of use . En route back to his homeland , Rukn al - Din was put to death . In his description of this , Juwayni concludes that the Imam ’ s murder cleansed " the world which had been polluted by their evil " . Subsequently in Quhistan , the Ismailis were called by thousands to attend large gatherings , where they were massacred . While some escaped to neighbouring regions , the Ismailis who perished in the massacres following the capture of the Ismaili garrisons numbered nearly 100 , 000 . Defense and military tactics . The natural geographical features of the valley surrounding Alamut largely secured the castle ’ s defence . Positioned atop a narrow rock base approximately 180 meters above ground level , the fortress could not be taken by direct military force . To the east , the Alamut valley is bordered by a mountainous range called Alamkuh ( The Throne of Solomon ) between which the Alamut River flows . The valley ' s western entrance is a narrow one , shielded by cliffs over 350m high . Known as the Shirkuh , the gorge sits at the intersection of three rivers : the Taliqan , Shahrud and Alamut River . For much of the year , the raging waters of the river made this entrance nearly inaccessible . Qazvin , the closest town to the valley by land can only be reached by an underdeveloped mule track upon which an enemy ’ s presence could easily be detected given the dust clouds arising from their passage . The military approach of the Nizari Ismaili state was largely a defensive one , with strategically chosen sites that appeared to avoid confrontation wherever possible without the loss of life . But the defining characteristic of the Nizari Ismaili state was that it was scattered geographically throughout Persia and Syria . The Alamut castle therefore was only one of a nexus of strongholds throughout the regions where Ismailis could retreat to safety if necessary . West of Alamut in the Shahrud Valley , the major fortress of Lamasar served as just one example of such a retreat . In the context of their political uprising , the various spaces of Ismaili military presence took on the name " dar al - hijra " ( place of refuge ) . The notion of the " dar al - hijra " originates from the time of the Prophet " Muhammad " , who fled with his supporters from intense persecution to safe haven in " Yathrib " . In this way , the Fatimids found their " dar al - hijra " in North Africa . Likewise during the revolt against the Seljuqs , several fortresses served as spaces of refuge for the Ismailis . In pursuit of their religious and political goals , the Ismailis adopted various military strategies popular in the Middle Ages . One such method was that of assassination , the selective elimination of prominent rival figures . The murders of political adversaries were usually carried out in public spaces , creating resounding intimidation for other possible enemies . Throughout history , many groups have resorted to assassination as a means of achieving political ends . In the Ismaili context , these assignments were performed by " fidā ’ īs " ( devotees ) of the Ismaili mission . They were unique in that civilians were never targeted . The assassinations were against those whose elimination would most greatly reduce aggression against the Ismailis and , in particular , against those who had perpetrated massacres against the community . A single assassination was usually employed in favour of widespread bloodshed resultant from factional combat . The first instance of assassination in the effort to establish an Nizari Ismaili state in Persia is widely considered to be the murder of Seljuq vizier , Nizam al - Mulk . Carried out by a man dressed as a Sufi whose identity remains unclear , the vizier ’ s murder in a Seljuq court is distinctive of exactly the type of visibility for which missions of the fida ’ is have been significantly exaggerated . While the Seljuqs and Crusaders both employed assassination as a military means of disposing of factional enemies , during the Alamut period almost any murder of political significance in the Islamic lands was attributed to the Ismailis . Legend and folklore . During the medieval period , Western scholarship on the Ismailis contributed to the popular view of the community as a radical sect of assassins , believed to be trained for the precise murder of their adversaries . By the 14th century AD , European scholarship on the topic had not advanced much beyond the work and tales from the Crusaders . The origins of the word forgotten , across Europe the term Assassin had taken the meaning of " professional murderer " . In 1603 the first Western publication on the topic of the Assassins was authored by a court official for King Henry IV and was mainly based on the narratives of Marco Polo ( 1254 – 1324 ) from his visits to the Near East . While he assembled the accounts of many Western travelers , the author failed to explain the etymology of the term Assassin . The infamous Assassins were finally linked by orientalists scholar Silvestre de Sacy ( d . 1838 ) to the Arabic " hashish " using their variant names " assassini " and assissini in the 19th century . Citing the example of one of the first written applications of the Arabic term " hashishi " to the Ismailis by historian Abu Shams ( d . 1267 ) , de Sacy demonstrated its connection to the name given to the Ismailis throughout Western scholarship . Ironically , the first known usage of the term " hashishi " has been traced back to 1122 AD when the Fatimid Caliph al - Amir employed it in derogatory reference to the Syrian Nizaris . Without accusing the group of utilizing the hashish drug , the caliph used the term in a pejorative manner . This label was quickly applied by anti - Ismaili historians to the Ismailis of Syria and Persia . Used figuratively , the term " hashish " i connoted meanings such as outcasts or rabble . The spread of the term was further facilitated through military encounters between the Nizaris and the Crusaders , whose chroniclers adopted the term and disseminated it across Europe . The legends of the Assassins had much to do with the training and instruction of Nizari " fida ’ is " , famed for their public missions during which they often gave their lives to eliminate adversaries . Misinformation from the Crusader accounts and the works of anti - Ismaili historians have contributed to the tales of " fida ’ is " being fed with hashish as part of their training . Whether " fida ’ is " were actually trained or dispatched by Nizari leaders is unconfirmed , but scholars including Wladimir Ivanow purport that the assassination of key figures including Seljuq vizier Nizam al - Mulk likely provided encouraging impetus to others in the community who sought to secure the Nizaris from political aggression . In fact , the Seljuqs and Crusaders both employed assassination as a military means of disposing of factional enemies . Yet during the Alamut period almost any murder of political significance in the Islamic lands became attributed to the Ismailis . So inflated had this association grown , that in the work of Orientalist scholars such as Bernard Lewis the Ismailis were virtually equated to the politically active " fida ’ is " . Thus the Nizari Ismaili community was regarded as a radical and heretical sect known as the Assassins . Originally , a " local and popular term " first applied to the Ismailis of Syria , the label was orally transmitted to Western historians and thus found itself in their histories of the Nizaris . The tales of the " fida ’ is " ’ training collected from anti - Ismaili historians and orientalists writers were confounded and compiled in Marco Polo ’ s account , in which he described a " secret garden of paradise " . After being drugged , the Ismaili devotees were said be taken to a paradise - like garden filled with attractive young maidens and beautiful plants in which these " fida ’ is " would awaken . Here , they were told by an " old " man that they were witnessing their place in Paradise and that should they wish to return to this garden permanently , they must serve the Nizari cause . So went the tale of the " Old Man in the Mountain " , assembled by Marco Polo and accepted by Joseph von Hammer - Purgstall ( 1774 – 1856 ) , a prominent orientalist writer responsible for much of the spread of this legend . Until the 1930s , von Hammer ’ s retelling of the Assassin legends served as the standard account of the Nizaris across Europe . Modern works on the Nizaris have elucidated the history of the Nizaris and in doing so , dispelled popular histories from the past as mere legends . In 1933 , under the direction of the Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah , Aga Khan III ( 1877 – 1957 ) , the Islamic Research Association was developed . Prominent historian Wladimir Ivanow , was central to both this institution and the 1946 Ismaili Society of Bombay . Cataloguing a number of Ismaili texts , Ivanow provided the ground for great strides in modern Ismaili scholarship . In recent years , Peter Willey has provided interesting evidence against the folkloric Assassin histories of earlier scholars . Drawing on its established esoteric doctrine , Willey asserts that the Ismaili understanding of Paradise is a deeply symbolic one . While the Qur ' anic description of Heaven includes natural imagery , Willey argues that no Nizari " fida ’ i " would seriously believe that he was witnessing Paradise simply by awakening in a beauteous garden . The Nizaris ' symbolic interpretation of the Qur ' anic description of Paradise serves as evidence against the possibility of such an exotic garden used as motivation for the devotees to carry out their armed missions . Furthermore , Willey points out that Juwayni the courtier of the Great Mongke , surveyed the Alamut castle just before the Mongol invasion . In his reports about of the fortress , there are elaborate descriptions of sophisticated storage facilities and the famous Alamut library . However , even this anti - Ismaili historian makes no mention of the folkloric gardens on the Alamut grounds . Having destroyed a number of texts of the library ’ s collection , deemed by Juwayni to be heretical , it would be expected that he would pay significant attention to the Nizari gardens , particularly if they were the site of drug use and temptation . Juwayni not having once mentioned such gardens , Willey concludes that there is no sound evidence in favour of these fictitious legends .