The arc of our own galaxy the Milky Way is seen above the rock that holds ruins of the mountain fortress of Alamut, in the Alborz Mountains of Iran. Alamut (the Eagle's Nest) was a stronghold of the Assassins, a sect of Nizari Ismailis (a branch of Shia Islam), from the 11th to 13th centuries. The fortress was destroyed in 1256 by invading Mongols.