SELÇUKLU VE İSMÂİLÎ KALESİ GİRDKÛH

Özet

Girdkûh, İran’ın kuzey doğusundaki Dâmgân yakınlarında, tarihi çok eskilere

Abstract

Castle of Gerdkūh, located near Dāmgān in the north-eastern part of Iran, wasa major stronghold with a long history. Since the castle dominated a fertileagricultural area and had an ample water supply, it possessed a great strategicadvantage. Gerdkūh came under the Seljukid control during the reign of SultanTughril (1040-1063) through the efforts of Qutalmish ibn Aslan Yabgu. Afterstaying under Qutalmish ibn Aslan Yabgu’s control for a period of time, thefortress was given to a local dynasty, the Ziyârîds. During his rebellion againstSultan Tughril, Qutalmish sought refuge in Gerdkūh. Although there wasscant information on Gerdkūh for the following period, the stronghold fell tothe Ismā‘īlīs during the reign of Barkiaroq (1092-1104). Under the Ismā‘īlīs,Gerdkūh became one of the most important centers of the Ismā‘īlī movement,often providing crucial support to the capital center of the movement, Alamut,during its difficult times. The period of Ismā‘īlī rule continued until the arrivalof the Mongols to the region and during the Ismā‘īlī-Mongol struggle Gerdkūhbecame one of the major military targets for the Mongol forces. The castlesurrendered to the Mongols only after a prolonged siege and unlike other Ismā‘īlīcastles which were immediately demolished, the Mongols chose to keep it undertheir control. The last known record on Gerdkūh dated to H. 786/1384 CE.