A normal, even stupid, photo from Mohseni Square in Tehran- after 1979 revolution, Maadar (Mother) Square. Just taken to be a very narrow window to city life in Tehran.
At the very top of the mountain is the famous Alamout Fortress. This was one of the many fortresses used by Hasan Sabbaah. His life is dimmed with stories and myth. This much is clear that he changed to be a follower of Isma’ili branch of Islam, and captured and made many fortresses in Alborz mountain. They were independent of Saljughi kingdom, and his successors ruled about 170 years when they were defeated by Mongols invasion. In the picture though not much visible is his famous fortress, but yet you can imagine the power of it about 1000 years ago, when it was used. For a good survey on Hassan Sabbaah’s life you can read his entry in wikipedia: Hassan Sabbah on Wikipedia
