DOCSLIB.ORG

The Network of the Ismaili Castles in the Alamut Region Introduction

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Network of the Ismaili Castles in the Alamut Region Introduction The Network of the Ismaili Castles in the Alamut Region Introduction Early Ismailis in Persia Ismailis are one of the several religious sects of Shiite Islam which originally formed after the death of Imam Jaʿfar al-Sadeq in 765. These sects owe their origin to the issue of his succession (Fig. 2). In 909 they officially established a Shiite caliphate in modern Tunisia which was named Fatimid dynasty (909 -1171).1 The Fatimids benefited from a systematic method of propaganda (daʿwa) to extend their power and rule over the Muslim communities in the other part of the Islamic world. The daʿwa organization was composed of network of missionaries who disseminated the religious and political beliefs of Ismailis within the Fatimid dominions as well as in other regions.2 By the late 11th century, the number of converts in different regions of Persia (e.g. Isfahan, Rey, Khorasan, and Transoxania) had grown as a result of the activities of several daʿi (missionaries) operating in the Persian territories. The Ismaili daʿwa was even more successful in the areas of Deylaman and Qohistan which were already the centres of socio-religious oppositions against the Saljuq government.3 The main reason for such an acceptance of the daʿwa in the Persian lands was the widespread perception of social injustices caused by the political-economic policies of the Saljuq Turks (1037 - 1194).4 All of these conditions provided a 1 Farhad Daftary, “Ismailism, Ismaili History”, in the Encyclopedia of Iranica, Vol. XIV, Fasc. 2, 2007, pp. 178- 195, available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ismailism-iii-ismaili-history, accessed 11 February 2014. 2 Farhad Daftary, “Daʿi”, in the Encyclopedia of Iranica, Vol. VI, Fasc. 6, 1993, pp. 590-593, available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/dai-propagandists, accessed 5 March 2014. 3 Farhad Daftary, “Hasan-e Sabbah and the origins of Nizari Ismaili movement”, in Farhad Daftary ed., Mediaeval Ismaili History and Thought, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996, p. 182. 4 Farhad Daftary, The Ismailis: Their History and Doctrines, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990, p. 311. 1 good environment for the creation of revolutionary movement launched in 1090 by Hasan-e Sabbah (1050s - 1124). Rise of Hasan-e Sabbah and Nizari Ismaili movement of the Alamut period Hasan-e Sabbah officially began his mission as an Ismaili daʿis in Persia in 1081. He travelled extensively in the service of the daʿwa for nine years in many different area of Persia. During this time he was seeking an appropriate region to establish his new movement. In 1090 he obtained the control of one of the major existing castles in the north part of Iran, Alamut, and reinforced it as the headquarters of his activities against the central government. Hasan formally cut off his relationship with the Fatimid regime and the daʿwa headquarters in Cairo in 1094, and founded the autonomous Nizari Ismaili state. Nizari Ismailis gradually became an influential community in the political and intellectual history of the Islamic world. During the so called ‘Alamut period’ (approx. 1094 - 1256), the Ismailis under the leadership of Hasan-e Sabbah and his successors, succeeded in capturing, reinforcing and erecting more than 200 large and small fortresses in different regions of Persia and Syria (including Rudbar, Alamut, Taleghan, Qumes, Qohistan, Arrajan, and Jabal al-Bahra). They also stabilized their power as an autonomous state in these regions. The principal strategy which helped them to resist their enemies and survive in a hostile environment was the establishment of network of castles within inaccessible regions. The Mongol invasion in 1256, led to the fall of the Alamut region as well as the submission and destruction of most of the See also: A. E. Bertels, Nasir Khusraw and Ismailis, tr. Yaḥya Aryanpur, Tehran: Bunyad-e Farhang-e Iran, 1967, pp. 21-56. 2 Ismaili strongholds in the other territories. This event put an end to the Nizari Ismaili ‘golden age’.5 The Alamut Region and the Ismaili Castles The Alamut region is an enclosed mountainous terrain with an east-west extension in the Central Alborz Massif. To its north across the mountains lies Caspian Sea coast; southwest is the Qazvin Plain, the southeast is Taleghan region, and to the west is the area of Southern Tarom (Fig. 3). The surrounding mountains, with the average height of about 3,600 m6 on either side of the Alamut Valley, have turned the territory into an impenetrable refuge. During the Alamut period Ismailis established several strongholds in the region. The topographical features of the mountains provided an ideal place for the erection of castles, and contributed to their defensive qualities. The inaccessibility of the valley, particularly over the cold seasons when the passes fill with snow, was another factor which ensured safety for the castle dwellers during winters. According to Mustawfi (d.1349) there were more than fifty castles in the Alamut and Rudbar regions, of which Lamsar, Maymun Dez, and Alamut castle were the best (behtarin-e an).7 The recent researches on the Ismaili fortifications have identified thirty-three large and small castles, forts, and watchtowers in the Alamut region (Table 1). However, the possibility of discovering more Ismaili sites through further survey work in the area should not be overlooked. 5 See Daftari, 1990, pp. 301-402. 6 Ivanow, 1960, p. 30. 7 Hamd Allah Mustawfi Qazvini, The geographical part of the Nuzhat al-qulub, ed. Seyedmuhammad Dabirsiaqi, Qazvin: Hadis-e Emruz, 2002, p. 103. 3 It is worth mentioning that most of the Ismaili castles show evidence of significant construction phases long before the Ismailis took control of them. In these cases the Ismailis modified and strengthened the castles based on their requirements. Unfortunately, there is no explicit reference in the historical sources to the criteria employed by the Ismailis when selecting a location to establish their castles. Some vague hints do, however, exist. Regarding this issue Juvaini mentioned: Hasan [-e Sabbah] exerted every effort to capture, by conversion or assault, the places adjacent to Alamut or in its vicinity, taking such castles as he could and, further, wherever he found a suitable rock he built a castle upon it.8 This account shows that capturing and building the castles has been one of the main strategies of the Nizari Ismailis for the extension of their territories from the beginning of the ‘Alamut period’. However, Juvaini does not explain what have been the features of a ‘suitable rock (sangi miyaft ke bana ra mishayest)’ for the establishment of a castle upon it. Therefore, the best way to understand these features is the study of the existing sites and their common aspects. 8 Juvaini, 1958, pp. 673-74; see also: Daftary, 2007, p. 318. 4 The existing hypotheses regarding the network of the Ismaili castles All the previous researches on the Ismaili castles have mentioned the relationship between these castles as a network of defensive structures; however, they have never discussed it in detail. The main focus of many of these studies is on the individual castles and their architectural features. Peter Willey who carried out the most extensive research on the Ismaili castles for his book, Eagle’s Nest, Ismaili Castles in Iran and Syria, briefly discusses the strategic and tactical considerations of the ismailis in choosing a location for the establishment of a castle. Regarding the relationship between the castles as a network, he simply considers them a ‘chain’ or ‘line’ of formidable structures that defended the borders of Ismaili state. This defensive line worked in combination with geographical factors.9 A relatively similar interpretation of the network of Ismaili castle is suggested by Wolfram Kleiss in Assassin Castles in Iran. Kleiss generally discusses the area of Ismaili influence through distribution of castles in different parts of Iran. He suggests a schematic model of the relationship between the castles in different regions. According to this model Alamut castle was the political, military and religious centre of the Ismaili state. The other regions were linked to Alamut via the castles distributed in each region (Fig. 19). For example, he considers the castles of Amameh and Firuzkuh as two connections in the chain of castles towards the east, from Alamut to Khurasan; or the castle of Sava as a key connection towards the south, from Alamut to Isfahan and Fars.10 Furthermore, he mentions the possible relationship between Alamut and the Syrian castles through the sites in Azarbaijan such as Qalʿa Zahak and Qalʿa Dokhtar. Although Kliess’ model is relatively vague and needs more detail to be proved, it clearly reveals his approach to the castles as a line of connected defensive structures. Hence, at 9 Willey, 2005, p.89 and p. 95. 10 Kleiss, 1994, p. 316. 5 the end of his essay, he emphasizes a need for identification of more individual cases to fill the gap between the regions and complete this chain of castles.11 His model can be problematic even from a methodological point of view because he is looking to prove a hypothesis that is not directly supported by the evidence. Therefore, any new data can be interpreted subjectively to support a pre-determined result. A more recent model of the network of the Ismaili castles is suggested by Hamideh Choubak exclusively for those castles located in the Alamut region (Fig. 20). Choubak considers the Alamut region an integrated and well protected area with the centrality of Alamut castle as the capital (dar al-molk) of the region. According to her model, the surrounding mountains functioned as a natural rampart around the region and defined its frontiers. Furthermore, the castles are considered the ‘gates’ which protected the Alamut valley against the possible attacks through controlling the main access routes to this area.12 All of the above-mentioned studies were not able to suggest a comprehensive definition of the network of the Ismaili castles due to the lack of essential information regarding all the individual castles.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Migration of Indians to Eastern Africa: a Case Study of the Ismaili Community, 1866-1966
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2019 The Migration of Indians to Eastern Africa: A Case Study of the Ismaili Community, 1866-1966 Azizeddin Tejpar University of Central Florida Part of the African History Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Tejpar, Azizeddin, "The Migration of Indians to Eastern Africa: A Case Study of the Ismaili Community, 1866-1966" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 6324. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/6324 THE MIGRATION OF INDIANS TO EASTERN AFRICA: A CASE STUDY OF THE ISMAILI COMMUNITY, 1866-1966 by AZIZEDDIN TEJPAR B.A. Binghamton University 1971 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2019 Major Professor: Yovanna Pineda © 2019 Azizeddin Tejpar ii ABSTRACT Much of the Ismaili settlement in Eastern Africa, together with several other immigrant communities of Indian origin, took place in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth centuries. This thesis argues that the primary mover of the migration were the edicts, or Farmans, of the Ismaili spiritual leader. They were instrumental in motivating Ismailis to go to East Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fatimid Caliphate General Editor: Farhad Daftary Diversity of Traditions
    'lltc Jnslitutc of lsmaili Studies Ismaili Heritage Series, 14 The Fatimid Caliphate General Editor: Farhad Daftary Diversity of Traditions Previously published titles: I. Paul E. Walker, Abu Ya'qub al-SijistiinI: Intellectual Missionary (1996) 2. Heinz Halm, The Fatimids and their Traditions of Learning ( 1997) 3. Paul E. Walker, Jjamfd al-Din al-Kirmani: Ismaili Thought in the Age ofal-l:iiikim (1999) 4. Alice C. Hunsberger, Nasir Khusraw, The Ruby of Badakhshan: A Portrait of the Persian Poet, Traveller and Philosopher (2000) 5. Farouk Mitha, Al-Ghazalf and the Ismailis: A Debate in Medieval Islam (2001) Edited by 6. Ali S. Asani, Ecstasy and Enlightenment: The Ismaili Devotional Literature of South Asia (2002) Farhad Daftary and Shainool Jiwa 7. Paul E. Walker, Exploring an Islamic Empire: Fatimid History and its Sources (2002) 8. Nadia Eboo Jamal, Surviving the Mongols: Nizari Quhistani and the Continuity ofIsmaili Tradition in Persia (2002) 9. Verena Klemm, Memoirs of a Mission: The Ismaili Scholar; States­ man and Poet al-Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shfriizi (2003) 10. Peter Willey, Eagle's Nest: Ismaili Castles in Iran and Syria (2005) 11. Sumaiya A. Hamdani, Between Revolution and State: The Path to Fatimid Statehood (2006) 12. Farhad Daftary, Ismailis in Medieval Muslim Societies (2005) 13. Farhad Daftary, ed., A Modern History of the Ismailis (2011) I.B.Tauris Publishers LONDON • NEW YORK in association with The Institute oflsmaili Studies LONDON 1111 '1111' 1'itti111icl <: 11lifih111t· soun;cs and fanciful accounts of medieval times. 'lhus legends and misconceptions have continued to surround the Ismailis through the 20th century.
    [Show full text]
  • TAZ, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism.Pdf
    T. A. Z. The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism By Hakim Bey Autonomedia Anti-copyright, 1985, 1991. May be freely pirated & quoted-- the author & publisher, however, would like to be informed at: Autonomedia P. O. Box 568 Williamsburgh Station Brooklyn, NY 11211-0568 Book design & typesetting: Dave Mandl HTML version: Mike Morrison Printed in the United States of America Part 1 T. A. Z. The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism By Hakim Bey ACKNOWLEDGMENTS CHAOS: THE BROADSHEETS OF ONTOLOGICAL ANARCHISM was first published in 1985 by Grim Reaper Press of Weehawken, New Jersey; a later re-issue was published in Providence, Rhode Island, and this edition was pirated in Boulder, Colorado. Another edition was released by Verlag Golem of Providence in 1990, and pirated in Santa Cruz, California, by We Press. "The Temporary Autonomous Zone" was performed at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics in Boulder, and on WBAI-FM in New York City, in 1990. Thanx to the following publications, current and defunct, in which some of these pieces appeared (no doubt I've lost or forgotten many--sorry!): KAOS (London); Ganymede (London); Pan (Amsterdam); Popular Reality; Exquisite Corpse (also Stiffest of the Corpse, City Lights); Anarchy (Columbia, MO); Factsheet Five; Dharma Combat; OVO; City Lights Review; Rants and Incendiary Tracts (Amok); Apocalypse Culture (Amok); Mondo 2000; The Sporadical; Black Eye; Moorish Science Monitor; FEH!; Fag Rag; The Storm!; Panic (Chicago); Bolo Log (Zurich); Anathema; Seditious Delicious; Minor Problems (London); AQUA; Prakilpana. Also, thanx to the following individuals: Jim Fleming; James Koehnline; Sue Ann Harkey; Sharon Gannon; Dave Mandl; Bob Black; Robert Anton Wilson; William Burroughs; "P.M."; Joel Birroco; Adam Parfrey; Brett Rutherford; Jake Rabinowitz; Allen Ginsberg; Anne Waldman; Frank Torey; Andr Codrescu; Dave Crowbar; Ivan Stang; Nathaniel Tarn; Chris Funkhauser; Steve Englander; Alex Trotter.
    [Show full text]
  • Post-Islamism a New Phase Or Ideological
    Post-Islamism A New Phase or Ideological Delusions? 2 Post - Islamism The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan The Deposit Number at The National Library (2018/12/6029) 324.2182 AbuRumman, Mohammad Suliman Post Islamism: A New Phase or Ideological Delusions?/ Mohammad Sulima- nAbuRumman; translated by William Joseph Ward. – Amman: Friedrich- Ebert-Stiftung, 2018 (232) p. Deposit No.: 2018/12/6029 Descriptors: /Religious Parties//Political Parties// Arab Countries/ ﻳﺘﺤﻤﻞ اﳌﺆﻟﻒ ﻛﺎﻣﻞ اﳌﺴﺆﻭﻟﻴﺔ اﻟﻘﺎﻧﻮﻧﻴﺔ ﻋﻦ ﳏﺘﻮ￯ ﻣﺼﻨﻔﻪ ﻭﻻ ﹼﻳﻌﱪ ﻫﺬا اﳌﺼﻨﻒ ﻋﻦ رأﻱ داﺋﺮة اﳌﻜﺘﺒﺔ اﻟﻮﻃﻨﻴﺔ أﻭ أﻱ ﺟﻬﺔ ﺣﻜﻮﻣﻴﺔ أﺧﺮ￯. Published in 2018 by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Jordan & Iraq FES Jordan & Iraq P.O. Box 941876 Amman11194 Jordan Email:[email protected] Website:www.fes-jordan.org Not for Sale © FES Jordan & Iraq All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the publishers. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the original author. They do not necessarily represent those of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung or the editor. Translation: Industry Arabic Cover design: Yousef Saraireh Lay-out: Eman Khattab Printing: Economic Press ISBN: 978-9957-484-91-0 Foreword 3 Post-Islamism A New Phase or Ideological Delusions? Editor: Dr. Mohammed Abu Rumman 4 Post - Islamism Foreword 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword 7 Introduction 9 Chapter 1 — Post-Islamism: Problems of the Term and Concept 21 Study 1: From Islamism to Post-Islamism: An Examination of Concepts and Theses, Hassan Abu Hanieh 23 Study 2: “Post-Islamism”: Lessons from Arab Revolutions, Luz Gómez 57 Study 3: The Failure of Political Islam: Ideological Delusions and Socio- logical Realities, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Simplest Reading of Bartol's Alamut
    DOI: 10.4312/as.2016.4.1.215-227 215 On the Simplest Reading of Bartol’s Alamut Tahereh AHMADIPOUR*4 Abstract Bartol’s Alamut as a valuable Slovenian literary work has been exposed to several inter- pretations for more than 70 years. The simplest or maybe the most credulous reading of this book is the one that considers it as a history book. This reading deems that the novel literally narrates the political and social events of Iran in the 11th century, the time that the Ismailis with Hasan Sabbah as the leader ruled over Alamut Castle. In this article the novel’s most important interpretations have been provided by discussing the deliberate critical essays through content analysis and historical criticism of the happenings. Then by using some important historical documents and relevant evidence, some events and persons of that time have been detected. The main aim of the article is to show that while Bartol incorporated a vast knowledge of the history of the Middle East as the core part of his novel, he also regarded his own nation and the miserable events of his own country. As a matter of fact he sent a harsh message through creating his own Hasan Sabbah, without any concern for the history. Keywords: Bartol’s Alamut, Hasan Sabbah, historical Criticism, Slovene literature Izvleček Bartolov Alamut je pomembno slovensko delo, ki je že skoraj 70 let tema številnih inter- pretacij. Najpreprosteje, celo lahkoverno je to delo brati kot zgodovinsko knjigo. Takšno branje predpostavlja, da roman v resnici pripoveduje o političnih in družbenih dogodkih v Iranu 11.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of an Unknown Primary Document on the Fall of Abbasid Baghdad to the Mongols (Written by the Defeated Side)
    7 VOL. 2, NO. 2, DECEMBER 2017: 7-27 A STUDY OF AN UNKNOWN PRIMARY DOCUMENT ON THE FALL OF ABBASID BAGHDAD TO THE MONGOLS (WRITTEN BY THE DEFEATED SIDE) By ALI BAHRANI POUR* The present study aims to do a documental study of the Mongol invasion and the fall of Baghdad (the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate) in 1258 CE. It is a case study on a document and two comments on it, which were originally recovered from the burial shroud of a person killed during Hülegü’s conquest of Baghdad. This docu- ment was later inserted by someone (possibly by one of its two commentators) in a section of a primary manuscript of Kitab al-Wara’a (written in 1147 CE). Then Os̤ man ibn Ġānim al-Hiti and Ṭahir ibn ‘Abd-Allāh ibn Ibrahim ibn Aḥmad, as commentators, wrote their comments about the document. Although these docu- ments are in the form of fragmentary notes, they are rare primary sources that depict the events and the conditions of the siege, the conquest of Baghdad and the collapse of Abbasid Caliphate. This article, while providing images, revised texts, and translations1 of the documents, aims to introduce them and to explore the civil factors contributing to the fall of Baghdad. Keywords: the fall of Baghdad, the Mongols, the Abbasid Caliphate * ALI BBAHRANI POUR is an associate professor at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. 1 I should thank my cousin Mr. Javad Bahrani-pour for his help in translating the document and Mokhtaral-din Ahmad’s article on that into Persian.
    [Show full text]
  • See the Document
    IN THE NAME OF GOD IRAN NAMA RAILWAY TOURISM GUIDE OF IRAN List of Content Preamble ....................................................................... 6 History ............................................................................. 7 Tehran Station ................................................................ 8 Tehran - Mashhad Route .............................................. 12 IRAN NRAILWAYAMA TOURISM GUIDE OF IRAN Tehran - Jolfa Route ..................................................... 32 Collection and Edition: Public Relations (RAI) Tourism Content Collection: Abdollah Abbaszadeh Design and Graphics: Reza Hozzar Moghaddam Photos: Siamak Iman Pour, Benyamin Tehran - Bandarabbas Route 48 Khodadadi, Hatef Homaei, Saeed Mahmoodi Aznaveh, javad Najaf ...................................... Alizadeh, Caspian Makak, Ocean Zakarian, Davood Vakilzadeh, Arash Simaei, Abbas Jafari, Mohammadreza Baharnaz, Homayoun Amir yeganeh, Kianush Jafari Producer: Public Relations (RAI) Tehran - Goragn Route 64 Translation: Seyed Ebrahim Fazli Zenooz - ................................................ International Affairs Bureau (RAI) Address: Public Relations, Central Building of Railways, Africa Blvd., Argentina Sq., Tehran- Iran. www.rai.ir Tehran - Shiraz Route................................................... 80 First Edition January 2016 All rights reserved. Tehran - Khorramshahr Route .................................... 96 Tehran - Kerman Route .............................................114 Islamic Republic of Iran The Railways
    [Show full text]
  • Bibi's Big Mistake: Fall of Fake Regime?
    WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 8 Pages Price 50,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 43rd year No.13941 Wednesday MAY 12, 2021 Ordibehesht 22, 1400 Ramadan 29, 1442 Iran: Tehran-Riyadh Daei, Hejazi the best Blood donation dialogue conducted by Iranian players of up 27% during Felicitation special envoys Page 2 century: IFFHS Page 3 Qadr nights Page 7 on Eid-al Fitr Iran rejects Pentagon’s claim, denounces U.S. ‘unprofessional’ behavior in Hormuz Bibi’s big mistake: Fall TEHRAN - The Islamic Revolutionary committing “provocative, gratuitous and Guards Corps Navy has reacted to a claim unprofessional behaviors such as flying heli- by the Pentagon that the IRGC speed- copters, firing flares and aimless shooting.” boats unprofessionally came close to an The statement said the IRGC boats See page 3 American vessel. maintained a legal distance from the The IRGC Navy said in a statement on American vessels in accordance with of fake regime? Tuesday that IRGC boats did not act unpro- international maritime regulations and fessionally and while they were conducting warned them against “dangerous and a regular and conventional operation, they unprofessional behavior.” encountered seven American Navy vessels Continued on page 3 Iranian COVID-19 Electricity projects worth over $320m vaccine enters large- put into operation TEHRAN – Iranian Energy Minister projects, as well as installing new PV sys- Reza Ardakanian inaugurated major tems for nomadic households. scale production phase electricity projects worth 13.45 trillion The national electricity network’s rials (about $320.2 million) across the new dispatching center which has been country on Tuesday, in the sixth week of completed with 11.44 trillion rials (about the ministry’s A-B-Iran program in the $272.3 million) of investment is using current Iranian calendar year (started on world’s latest technologies in Energy March 21).
    [Show full text]
  • Univerza V Ljubljani Fakulteta Za Družbene Vede
    UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI FAKULTETA ZA DRUŽBENE VEDE Katja Kirn AKTUALNOST BARTOLOVEGA ALAMUTA ZA SODOBNI SVET Diplomsko delo Ljubljana, 2006 UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI FAKULTETA ZA DRUŽBENE VEDE Katja Kirn Mentorica: izr. prof. dr. Manca Košir Somentor: doc. dr. Andrej Blatnik AKTUALNOST BARTOLOVEGA ALAMUTA ZA SODOBNI SVET Diplomsko delo Ljubljana, 2006 2 Aktualnost Bartolovega Alamuta za sodobni svet Diplomsko delo obravnava vzroke za aktualnost in uspešnost Bartolovega Alamuta v sodobnem času. Analiza izhaja iz ugotovitve, da so za veliko popularnost in tržno uspešnost romana doma in v tujini zaslužne predvsem politično-aktualistične interpretacije Alamuta, ki ga razglašajo za nekakšno anticipacijo islamskega terorizma. Avtorica ugotavlja, da so takšne razlage zavajajoče in poenostavljene. V eksotični orientalski alamutski zgodbi odseva namreč podoba sodobnega zahodnega sveta, ki ga bistveno zaznamujejo množični mediji. Verska in politična manipulacija ter prevara z umetnimi rajskimi vrtovi, ki sta osrednji temi romana, se izkažeta kot prispodoba za medijske manipulacije, ki jim je vsakodnevno podvržen moderni slehernik. V nihilističnem vodilu romana »nič ni resnično, vse je dovoljeno« prepoznamo racionalno in tržno naravnano logiko delovanja množičnih medijev (predvsem televizije), ki producirajo virtualni ‘raj’. Alamutska solipsistična etika razkriva postmoderni etični relativizem, ki nakazuje nepotrebnost in nezaželenost etičnih meril. Ključne besede: Alamut, množični mediji, etika, postmoderna doba, pregled literarnih študij The actuality of Bartol’s Alamut for the contemporary world The paper examines reasons for the actuality and success of Bartol’s Alamut in current times. The analysis is based on a statement that the credit for great popularity and successful breakthrough of the novel in the local and foreign book market is taken by current political interpretation of Alamut which proclaims the novel as anticipation of Islamic terrorism.
    [Show full text]
  • Counter-Terrorism Reference Curriculum
    COUNTER-TERRORISM REFERENCE CURRICULUM CTRC Academic Project Leads & Editors Dr. Sajjan M. Gohel, International Security Director Asia Pacific Foundation Visiting Teacher, London School of Economics & Political Science [email protected] & [email protected] Dr. Peter Forster, Associate Professor Penn State University [email protected] PfPC Reference Curriculum Lead Editors: Dr. David C. Emelifeonwu Senior Staff Officer, Educational Engagements Canadian Defence Academy Associate Professor Royal Military College of Canada Department of National Defence [email protected] Dr. Gary Rauchfuss Director, Records Management Training Program National Archives and Records Administration [email protected] Layout Coordinator / Distribution: Gabriella Lurwig-Gendarme NATO International Staff [email protected] Graphics & Printing — ISBN XXXX 2010-19 NATO COUNTER-TERRORISM REFERENCE CURRICULUM Published May 2020 2 FOREWORD “With guns you can kill terrorists, with education you can kill terrorism.” — Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist for female education and Nobel Prize laureate NATO’s counter-terrorism efforts have been at the forefront of three consecutive NATO Summits, including the recent 2019 Leaders’ Meeting in London, with the clear political imperative for the Alliance to address a persistent global threat that knows no border, nationality or religion. NATO’s determination and solidarity in fighting the evolving challenge posed by terrorism has constantly increased since the Alliance invoked its collective defence clause for the first time in response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 on the United States of America. NATO has gained much experience in countering terrorism from its missions and operations. However, NATO cannot defeat terrorism on its own. Fortunately, we do not stand alone.
    [Show full text]
  • Itinerary Brilliant Persia Tour (24 Days)
    Edited: May2019 Itinerary Brilliant Persia Tour (24 Days) Day 1: Arrive in Tehran, visiting Tehran, fly to Shiraz (flight time 1 hour 25 min) Sightseeing: The National Museum of Iran, Golestan Palace, Bazaar, National Jewelry Museum. Upon your pre-dawn arrival at Tehran airport, our representative carrying our show card (transfer information) will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. You will have time to rest and relax before our morning tour of Tehran begins. To avoid heavy traffic, taking the subway is the best way to visit Tehran. We take the subway and charter taxis so that we make most of the day and visit as many sites as possible. We begin the day early morning with a trip to the National Museum of Iran; an institution formed of two complexes; the Museum of Ancient Iran which was opened in 1937, and the Museum of the Islamic Era which was opened in 1972.It hosts historical monuments dating back through preserved ancient and medieval Iranian antiquities, including pottery vessels, metal objects, textile remains, and some rare books and coins. We will see the “evolution of mankind” through the marvelous display of historic relics. Next on the list is visiting the Golestan Palace, the former royal Qajar complex in Iran's capital city, Tehran. It is one of the oldest historic monuments of world heritage status belonging to a group of royal buildings that were once enclosed within the mud-thatched walls of Tehran's Arg ("citadel"). It consists of gardens, royal buildings, and collections of Iranian crafts and European presents from the 18th and 19th centuries.
    [Show full text]
  • Behind the Scenes
    ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 369 Behind the Scenes SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK We love to hear from travellers – your comments keep us on our toes and help make our books better. Our well-travelled team reads every word on what you loved or loathed about this book. Although we cannot reply individually to your submissions, we always guarantee that your feed- back goes straight to the appropriate authors, in time for the next edition. Each person who sends us information is thanked in the next edition – the most useful submissions are rewarded with a selection of digital PDF chapters. Visit lonelyplanet.com/contact to submit your updates and suggestions or to ask for help. Our award-winning website also features inspirational travel stories, news and discussions. Note: We may edit, reproduce and incorporate your comments in Lonely Planet products such as guidebooks, websites and digital products, so let us know if you don’t want your comments reproduced or your name acknowledged. For a copy of our privacy policy visit lonelyplanet.com/ privacy. Martin, Klaas Flechsig, Larissa Chu, Leigh Dehaney, OUR READERS Leonie Gavalas, Lianne Bosch, Lisandra Ilisei, Luis Many thanks to the travellers who used the last Maia, Luzius Thuerlimann, Maarten Jan Oskam, edition and wrote to us with helpful hints, useful Maksymilian Dzwonek, Manfred Henze, Marc Verkerk, advice and interesting anecdotes: Adriaan van Dijk, Marcel Althaus, Marei Bauer, Marianne Schoone, Adrian Ineichen, Adrien Bitton, Adrien Ledeul, Agapi Mario Sergio Dd Oliveira Pinto, Marjolijn
    [Show full text]