Description:

Lambasar, or Lambesar (لمبه سر) was probably the largest and the most fortified castles of the Nizari Ismaili state. The fortress is located in the central Alburz mountains, south of the Caspian Sea, about 120 km from present-day Tehran, Iran. Lambesar is to the northeast of Razmian village (the central district of Roodbar e Shahrestan). Kiya Buzurg Ummid (d. 1138) captured the castle from Rasamuj and rebuilt it into a major stronghold using local labour. He was appointed by Hasan Sabbah (d. 1124) as its governor.[1] Only ruins remain of this magnificent fortress today. Very deep valleys surrounding the fortress make it impossible to access from the East and West sides. The North and South fronts are the only possible ways to get into the fortress. Although the slope of the mountain with a difference of 150m on both levels is stretched from north to south with a length of 480m, the castle is more than 190m in width. The huge two-layered parapets made up of very large 10m high stones, along with the main building in the north of the fortress with 1.2m wide cut stone walls, wonderful water reservoirs and grain stores in the south and southeast of the castle, towers and a water supply system are among the characteristics and features left within the Lambesar fortress which intrigue visitors. In the North side of the fortress a huge building with 4 smaller extensions remain which face to the East.