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Saru Castles
Saru Castles ( fa, قلعههای سارو; also spelled Soru, ) are two related fortifications located at 10 km in north east of the city of Semnan, Iran, on mountains of south and north of a valley called Kalāteh Sārū (, literally "Saru Castle") or Mazra'eh-ye Sārū (, "Saru Farm"). The northern castle, the Lesser Saru (), is mostly in ruins. The southern castle, the Greater Saru (), or simply the Saru Castle (), is the main one and is relatively intact. It is 100 m higher than the Lesser Saru. The Greater Saru has triple defensive outer walls and an unusual double-bend main entrance way, and features a sophisticated water catchment area. The Lesser Saru was used to defend the Kalateh Saru natural springs from which water was pumped to the main castle. The Saru Castles are believed to be used by Arsacids, Dabuyids of Tabaristan, Buyids, and eventually by the Nizari Ismailis, who built the current castle on the site of an earlier fortification. Saru is relativel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Semnan, Iran
Semnan (Persian: , ); is the capital city of Semnan Province, situated on the alluvial fan of the Golrudbar creek in north central Iran, 216 km east of Tehran and 640 km west of Mashhad. With a population of 185,129 people, Semnan is the most populated city in Semnan Province and serves as the capital of it. The city is also the hub of the Semnani language, a sub-branch of the Iranian languages spoken to the north, and home to the Semnani ethnic group. Semnan offers various recreational activities, historical and religious sites, festivals, gardens and parks, centers of higher education, and Semnani culture. The city is as the cultural and political capital of the Semnan Province. The city's main souvenirs are daffodil flowers, Shirmal pastry, Kolüçe cookies, kilim rugs, and shortbread. Etymology There are several theories which seek to explain the origin of the name ''Semnan''. Semnan was an ancient pre-zoroastrian city in which the locals practiced idol-worsh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ismaili Castles
List of the strongholds or dar al-hijra of the Nizari Ismaili state in Persia (Iran) and Syria. Most of the Persian Ismaili castles were in the Alborz mountains, in the regions of Daylaman (particularly, in Alamut and Rudbar; north of modern-day Qazvin) and Quhistan (south of Khurasan), as well as in Qumis. Most of the Syrian Ismaili castles were in Jabal Bahra' (Syrian Coastal Mountain Range). According to Juzjani, before the Mongol invasion the Nizaris possessed 70 forts in Quhistan and 35 in Alamut. Overall, they probably had 250 castles. The Ismaili fortresses in Rudbar of Alamut had been built on rocky heights and were equipped to withstand long sieges; they had storehouses with high capacities and elaborate water supply infrastructure such as cisterns, qanats, and canals. Persia Syria The strongholds in Jabal Bahra' were known as the "Castles of the ''da'wa''" ( ''qilāʿ al-daʿwah''). See also *Nizari Ismaili state *History of Nizari Ismailism *List of ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Qumis (region)
Qūmis ( ar, قومس, from fa, کومس / کومش, Kōmis / Kōmiš; grc, Κωμισηνή, Kōmisēnē; xcl, Կոմշ, Komsh), was a province in pre-Islamic Persia, lying between the southern Alborz chain watershed and the northern fringes of the Dasht-e Kavir desert. During the Sasanian period, it designated the area lying between the provinces of Ray and Gurgan and was part of the Padishkhwargar province. Qumis became a province of medieval Islamic Persia. Its western boundaries lay in the eastern rural districts of Ray, while in the east it marched with Khurasan. It was bisected by the Great Khurasan Road, along which were situated the major cities of (from west to east) Khuwar ( Choarene; modern Aradan), Semnan, Shahr-i Qumis (or "Hecatompylos"; the administrative capital; modern Damghan), and Bistam, while in its southeastern extremity lay the town of Biyar (modern Beyarjomand). In 856, an earthquake centered in Qumis killed around 200,000 people. It was one of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buildings And Structures In Semnan Province
A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, and have been adapted throughout history for a wide number of factors, from building materials available, to weather conditions, land prices, ground conditions, specific uses, prestige, and aesthetic reasons. To better understand the term ''building'' compare the list of nonbuilding structures. Buildings serve several societal needs – primarily as shelter from weather, security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and work. A building as a shelter represents a physical division of the human habitat (a place of comfort and safety) and the ''outside'' (a place that at times may be harsh and harmful). Ever since the first cave paintings, buildings have also become objects or canvasses of much artistic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castles In Iran
Throughout history, especially in prehistoric and early history, castles have played an important role in the fortification of Iran. They were usually maintained by officials on important routes or cities, and most of them were in unmarked heights with steep slopes or cliffs. Such places have always served as a natural defenses against enemies and offer a panoramic view of the surrounding lands, so cities and surrounding lands can be defended. Most of Iran's castles had spring or Wells, except for those that were previously surrounded by water. Important castles List of castles in Iran This is a list of castles in Iran. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T V Y Z See also *List of castles References {{Castles in Iran * Iran Iran Castles Iran Castles A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castles Of The Nizari Ismaili State
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified; from a fortress, which was not always a residence for royalty or nobility; from a ''pleasance'' which was a walled-in residence for nobility, but not adequately fortified; and from a fortified settlement, which was a public defence – though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Use of the term has varied over time and has also been applied to structures such as hill forts and 19th-20th century homes built to resemble castles. Over the approximately 900 years when genuine castles were built, they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls, arrowslits, and portcullises, were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Qumis Region
Qūmis ( ar, قومس, from fa, کومس / کومش, Kōmis / Kōmiš; grc, Κωμισηνή, Kōmisēnē; xcl, Կոմշ, Komsh), was a province in pre-Islamic Persia, lying between the southern Alborz chain watershed and the northern fringes of the Dasht-e Kavir desert. During the Sasanian period, it designated the area lying between the provinces of Ray and Gurgan and was part of the Padishkhwargar province. Qumis became a province of medieval Islamic Persia. Its western boundaries lay in the eastern rural districts of Ray, while in the east it marched with Khurasan. It was bisected by the Great Khurasan Road, along which were situated the major cities of (from west to east) Khuwar (Choarene; modern Aradan), Semnan, Shahr-i Qumis (or "Hecatompylos"; the administrative capital; modern Damghan), and Bistam, while in its southeastern extremity lay the town of Biyar (modern Beyarjomand). In 856, an earthquake centered in Qumis killed around 200,000 people. It was one ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gerdkuh
Gerdkuh was a castle of the Nizari Isma'ili state located near Damghan in the region of Qumis (modern-day Semnan Province of Iran). Gerdkuh is a "fortified mountain"—a high vertical rock of 300 m in height with buildings on its summit and fortifications at its sides, defended by a triple ring of fortifications at its foot, making the citadel impregnable to direct military assault. It was originally a small fort acquired and refortified in 1096 AD by a Seljuq commander who was secretly a Nizari. The fortress served as a place of refuge for the families of the Nizaris, and its strategic location in the middle of the Khorasan Road made it a useful base for collecting taxes from the passing caravans of the Silk Road. Gerdkuh resisted the Mongol invasion of 1253 AD for 17 years, becoming the last Nizari stronghold in Persia to fall. The fortress remained in use until the early Safavid period. Among the major Nizari fortresses, Gerdkuh is the least studied one. Name The wo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nizari Ismaili State
The Nizari state (the Alamut state) was a Shia Nizari Ismaili state founded by Hassan-i Sabbah after he took control of the Alamut Castle in 1090 AD, which marked the beginning of an era of Ismailism known as the "Alamut period". Their people were also known as the ''Assassins'' or ''Hashashins''. The state consisted of a nexus of strongholds throughout Persia and Syria, with their territories being surrounded by huge swathes of hostile territory. It was formed as a result of a religious and political movement of the minority Nizari sect supported by the anti-Seljuk population. Being heavily outnumbered, the Nizaris resisted adversaries by employing strategic, self-sufficient fortresses and the use of unconventional tactics, notably assassination of important adversaries and psychological warfare. Despite being occupied with survival in their hostile environment, the Ismailis in this period developed a sophisticated outlook and literary tradition. Almost two centuries after ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan to the north, by Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east, and by the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south. It covers an area of , making it the 17th-largest country. Iran has a population of 86 million, making it the 17th-most populous country in the world, and the second-largest in the Middle East. Its largest cities, in descending order, are the capital Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj, Shiraz, and Tabriz. The country is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BC. It was first unified by the Medes, an ancient Iranian people, in the seventh century BC, and reached its territorial height in the sixth century BC, when Cyrus the Great fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buyids
The Buyid dynasty ( fa, آل بویه, Āl-e Būya), also spelled Buwayhid ( ar, البويهية, Al-Buwayhiyyah), was a Shia Iranian dynasty of Daylamite origin, which mainly ruled over Iraq and central and southern Iran from 934 to 1062. Coupled with the rise of other Iranian dynasties in the region, the approximate century of Buyid rule represents the period in Iranian history sometimes called the 'Iranian Intermezzo' since, after the Muslim conquest of Persia, it was an interlude between the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate and the Seljuk Empire. The Buyid dynasty was founded by 'Ali ibn Buya, who in 934 conquered Fars and made Shiraz his capital. His younger brother Hasan ibn Buya conquered parts of Jibal in the late 930s, and by 943 managed to capture Ray, which he made his capital. In 945, the youngest brother, Ahmad ibn Buya, conquered Iraq and made Baghdad his capital. He received the ''laqab'' or honorific title of ''Mu'izz al-Dawla'' ("Fortifier of the State"). The e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tabaristan
Tabaristan or Tabarestan ( fa, طبرستان, Ṭabarestān, or mzn, تبرستون, Tabarestun, ultimately from Middle Persian: , ''Tapur(i)stān''), was the name applied to a mountainous region located on the Caspian coast of northern Iran. It corresponded to the present-day province of Mazandaran, which became the predominant name of the area from the 11th-century onwards. Pre-Islamic era Tabaristan was named after the Tapurians, who had been deported there from Parthia by the Parthian king Phraates I (). At the advent of the Sasanians, the region, along with Gilan and Daylam, was part of the Padishkhwargar kingdom of king Gushnasp, who is mentioned in the Letter of Tansar. He submitted to the first Sasanian King of Kings () Ardashir I () after being guaranteed to keep his kingdom. His line would continue ruling Padishkhwargar until the second reign of Kavad I (), who removed the dynasty from power and appointed his son Kawus in its stead. Under the Sasanians, Tabarist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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