Gerdkuh was a castle of the

Nizari Isma'ili state The Nizari state (the Alamut state) was a Nizari Isma'ili Shia 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 w ...

located near

Damghan Damghan () is a city in the Central District (Damghan County), Central District of Damghan County, Semnan province, Semnan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is east of Tehran on the high-road to Mash ...

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 Seljuk (, ''Selcuk'') or Saljuq (, ''Saljūq'') may refer to: * Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia * Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities * S ...

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 The (Great) Khurasan Road was the great trunk road connecting Mesopotamia to the Iranian Plateau and thence to Central Asia, History of China, China, and the Indus Valley. It is very well-documented in the Abbasid Caliphate, Abbasid period, when i ...

made it a useful base for collecting taxes from the passing caravans of the Silk Road. Gerdkuh resisted the

Mongol invasion The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire, the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), which by 1260 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...

of 1253 AD for 17 years, becoming the last Nizari stronghold in Persia to fall. The fortress remained in use until the early

Safavid The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

period. Among the major Nizari fortresses, Gerdkuh is the least studied one.

Name

The word ''Girdkūh'' () is a compound of ''gird'' () for "circular" (round) and ''kūh'' () for "mountain". It is named this due to the circular shape of the mountain peak. In the Chinese work ''

History of Yuan The ''History of Yuan'' (), also known as the ''Yuanshi'', is one of the official Chinese historical works known as the '' Twenty-Four Histories'' of China. Commissioned by the court of the Ming dynasty, in accordance to political tradition, t ...

'', Gerdkuh is recorded multiple times, as ''Yü-r-gu'', ''K‘i-du-bu'', ''K‘i-du-bu-gu'', and ''Gir-r-du-k‘ie'', on top of the mount ''Yen-han'', west of ''Tan-han'' (Damghan). The fortress is called ''Tigado'' by

Hayton of Corycus Hayton of Corycus, O.Praem (also ''Hethum, Het'um'', and variants; ; ) was a medieval Armenian nobleman and historiographer. He was also a member of Norbertines and likely a Catholic priest. Hayton is the author of ("Flower of the Histories of t ...

. The fortress is also known as ''Dezh-e Gonbadān'' (), literally "fortress of the domes"). The ''Gonbadān-Dezh'' () mentioned in '' Shahnama'', in which Isfandiyar was imprisoned, may be identified with Gerdkuh.

Description

Gerdkuh is located around west of

off the main Semnan road. It is best approached via the nearby village

Hajjiabad-e Razveh Hajjiabad-e Razveh (, also Romanized as Ḩājjīābād-e Raẕveh) is a village in Qohab-e Sarsar Rural District, Amirabad District, Damghan County, Semnan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 25, in 7 families. The Ismaili ...

The rock of Gerdkuh has a distinct conical shape which rises above the surrounding

scree Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall. Landforms associated with these materials are often called talus deposits. The term ''scree'' is ap ...

slopes. Apart from the east, the slopes are almost impossible to scale and no defensive works were necessary. The height of the plain surrounding the rock is , and the height of the top of Gerdkuh's fort is . The steepness of the rock and its height has been noted in the work ''

'', which claims no arrows or mangonel stones could reach it. The main perimeter defense consisted of rings of 35 forts with a total circumference of . The forts are more concentrated on the eastern side, which feature three rings of them—one away from the castle, another away, and the third one right at the foot of the castle. Their purpose may include the protection of the cultivated fertile ground on the castle's foot, and tax-collecting bases for passing caravans, as well as a more conventional and accessible place of storage relative to the buildings at the hilltop. A rectangular outer

gatehouse A gatehouse is a type of fortified gateway, an entry control point building, enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a town, religious house, castle, manor house, or other fortification building of importance. Gatehouses are typically the most ...

on the southern side apparently served as a reception post. The proper entrance is, however, via the main gatehouse on the eastern side. The main gatehouse was wide and high. It featured two round turrets on each side made of smooth dressed stones. The outer ramp leading to this gate was probably built by the besieging Mongols. There is a spring just above this gatehouse. Via a line of defenses it leads to an inner gatehouse which defends the only possible ascent to the main castle. The mountain fortifications are defended with double walls built between towers. Natural perpendicular drops increased their effectiveness. Gerd2

The mountain top has its own fortifications. There is a citadel in length and in width. Its base is built with dressed blocks of stone and features a well in the middle. The main inhabited area, which is visible from the plain, was a complex of two rows of buildings on the south-eastern slope, all of them at least two or three stories high. On the north-east, there is a late mud wall with little remnants of buildings. On the south-west there is a cistern and remains of a defensive tower. The main water catchment area is, however, the three cisterns on the southern side of the hilltop where the ground drops steeply about . They feature an outer wall of in thickness made of stone and mud-brick covered by plaster, with vaulted roofs and turrets. There are more cisterns and wells elsewhere within the fortifications.

History

The fortress probably dates back to the pre-Islamic period. Gerdkuh was situated on the

and guarded the routes toward the

Alborz mountain range The Alborz ( ) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs northeast and merge ...

Seljuk period

Gerdkuh was refortified and transferred into the

Nizari Isma'ili Nizari Isma'ilism () are the largest segment of the Isma'ilism, Ismailis, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasise independent reasoning or ''ijtihad''; Pluralism (philosophy), pluralism— ...

possession in 1100 by Ra'is Mu'ayyad al-Din Muzaffar ibn Ahmad Mustawfi (), a secret Isma'ili convert and lieutenant of the Seljuq emir Amirdad Habashi (), who in turn had acquired Gedrkuh in 1096 from Sultan

Barkiyaruq Rukn al-Din Abu'l-Muzaffar Berkyaruq ibn Malikshah (; 1079/80 – 1105), better known as Berkyaruq (), was the fifth sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1094 to 1105. The son and successor of Malik-Shah I (), he reigned during the opening stages o ...

. Now under

Hassan-i Sabbah Hasan al-Sabbah also known as Hasan I of Alamut, was an Iranian religious and military leader, founder of the Nizari Ismai'li sect widely known as the '' Hashshashin'' or the Order of Assassins, as well as the Nizari Ismaili state, ruling fro ...

, Muzaffar continued as the commandant of the stronghold until being succeeded by his son Sharaf al-Din Muhammad. Muzaffar reportedly dug an extremely deep well in the fort but did not reach the water. Years later, water gushed out after an earthquake. In 528 AH (

Islamic year The Hijri year () or era () is the era used in the Islamic lunar calendar. It begins its count from the Islamic New Year in which Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Yathrib (now Medina) in 622 CE. This event, known as the Hijr ...

) during the reign of Sultan

Ahmad Sanjar Sanjar (, ; full name: ''Muizz ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Adud ad-Dawlah Abul-Harith Ahmad Sanjar ibn Malik-Shah'') (6 November 1086 – 8 May 1157) was the Seljuq ruler of Khorasan from 1097 until 1118,

Khwarezmshahian period

During the

, Sultan

Muhammad II of Khwarazm 'Alā' al-Din Muhammad II (Persian language, Persian: علاءالدین محمد خوارزمشاه; full name: ''Ala ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Abul-Fath Muhammad Sanjar ibn Tekish'') was the Shah of the Khwarazmian Empire from 3 August 1200 to 11 Janu ...

retreated to

Ray Ray or RAY may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), the bony or horny spine on ray-finned fish Science and mathematics * Half-line (geometry) or ray, half of a line split at an ...

. The Mongol commander

Subutai Subutai (c. 1175–1248) was a Mongol general and the primary military strategist of Genghis Khan and Ögedei Khan. He ultimately directed more than 20 campaigns, during which he conquered more territory than any other commander in history a ...

followed him, and as he reached Damghan, some of the city elites sought refuge in Nizaris' Gerdkuh.

The Mongol siege of Gerdkuh

In March 1253,

Hülegü Hulegu Khan, also known as Hülegü or Hulagu; ; ; ; ( 8 February 1265), was a Mongol ruler who conquered much of Western Asia. As a son of Tolui and the Keraite princess Sorghaghtani Beki, he was a grandson of Genghis Khan and brother of Ari ...

's commander

Kitbuqa Kitbuqa Noyan (died 1260), also spelled Kitbogha, Kitboga, or Ketbugha, was an Eastern Christian of the Naimans, a group that was subservient to the Mongol Empire. He was a lieutenant and confidant of the Mongol Ilkhan Hulagu, assisting him ...

, who was commanding the advance guard, crossed Oxus (

Amu Darya The Amu Darya ( ),() also shortened to Amu and historically known as the Oxus ( ), is a major river in Central Asia, which flows through Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Rising in the Pamir Mountains, north of the Hindu Ku ...

) with 12,000 men (one '' tümen'' plus two ''

mingghan The mingghan ( Uzbek: Minghan, ) was a social-military unit of 1000 households created by Genghis Khan. From this group could be recruited a regiment of 1000 men. It is part of the ancient method of organization developed by Eurasian nomads based on ...

s'' under Köke Ilgei). In April 1253, he captured several Nizari fortresses in

Quhistan Quhistan () or Kohistan (, "mountainous land") was a region of medieval Persia, essentially the southern part of Khurasan. Its boundaries appear to have been south of Khorasan to north, Yazd to West, Sistan to South, Afghanistan to East. Quhistan ...

and killed their inhabitants, and in May he attacked Qumis and laid siege to Gerdkuh with 5,000 men and build walls and siege works around it. Kitbuqa left an army under ''

amir Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has ...

'' Büri to besiege Gerdkuh. In December 1253, Girdkuh's garrison sallied at night and killed 100 (or several hundred) Mongols, including Büri. In the summer of 1254, an outbreak of

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

in Gerdkuh weakened the garrison's resistance. However, unlike Lambsar, Gerdkuh survived the epidemic and was saved by the arrival of reinforcements from Ala al-Din Muhammad in

Alamut Alamut () or Rudbar () is a region in Iran including western and eastern parts on the western edge of the Alborz (Elburz) range, between the dry and barren plain of Qazvin in the south and the densely forested slopes of the Mazandaran provin ...

. As

's main army was advancing in Iran, Khurshah ordered Gerdkuh and fortresses of Quhistan to surrender. The Nizari chief in Gerdkuh, Qadi Tajuddin Mardanshah, surrendered, but the garrison continued to resist. In 1256,

Maymun-Diz Maymūn-Diz () was a major fortress of the Nizari Ismailis of the Alamut Period described in historical records. It has been variously identified with the Alamut Castle, Navizar Shah Castle, Shirkuh Castle, Shahrak Castle, and Shams Kalayeh Ca ...

and

surrendered and were destroyed by the Mongols, resulting in the official disestablishment of the

Nizari Ismaili state The Nizari state (the Alamut state) was a Nizari Isma'ili Shia 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 ...

. Khurshah was in the custody of the Mongols. As his position became intolerable, he asked Hülegü to be allowed to go meet Möngke in Mongolia to persuade the remaining Ismaili fortresses to surrender. Möngke rebuked him due to his failure to hand over Lambsar and Gerdkuh, and ordered a general massacre of all Nizari Ismailis, including Khurshah. The Mongols had built permanent buildings, houses, and defensive walls near Gerdkuh, the ruins of which still remain today in

and other nearby villages. Two types of stones used for Nizari and Mongol mangonels were visible on the northeastern slope as of 1985. There are also remains of the Mongol siege works in the plain between Hajjiabad-e Razveh and Gerdkuh. On 15 December 1270, during the reign of Abaqa, the garrison of Gerdkuh surrendered from want of clothing. It was thirteen years after the fall of Alamut, and seventeen years after its first siege by Kitbuqa. The Mongols killed the surviving garrison but did not destroy the fortress.

After the Mongol takeover

Gerdkuh reappears only once in historical records in 1384, when it was briefly captured by the rebellious governor Amir Vali of

Astarabad Gorgan (; ) is a city in the Central District of Gorgan County, Golestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It lies approximately to the northeast of the national capital Tehran, and some a ...

. It was probably completely abandoned in the early

period.

Modern studies

The

Qajar The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic origin,Cyrus Ghani. ''Iran an ...

king

Naser al-Din Shah Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (; ; 17 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. During his rule there was internal pressure from the people of Iran, as well as external ...

(1848–1896) encouraged Shaykh Mohammad Mehdi Abdol-Rabb-Abadi to investigate the site, whose brief report contains accurate measurements. The site was visited multiple times by Peter Wiley, who left a detailed description in his book ''Eagle's Nest''. In 1967 the site was reported to be covered with shards and artifacts; few of them were remaining in the following year. No archeological survey of the ruins has been made as of 2012. Among major Nizari castles, Gerdkuh is the least studied one.

References

External links

* {{Castles in Iran Castles in Iran Forts in Iran Castles of the Nizari Ismaili state Qumis (region) Nizari Ismaili–Seljuk relations Earthquakes in the medieval Islamic world Rock castles