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'''Gerdkuh''' was a castle of the [[Nizari Ismaili state|Nizari Isma'ili state]] located near [[Damghan]] in the region of [[Qumis (region)|Qumis]] (modern-day Semnan Province of Iran).
Gerdkuh is described as a "fortified mountain"—a high vertical rock of 300 m in height with buildings and fortifications, defended by a triple ring of fortifications at its foot, making the citadel impregnable to direct military assault. It was originally a small fort acquired and refortified in 1096 AD by a [[Seljuq Empire|Seljuq]] commander who was secretly a Nizari. The fortress served as a place of refuge for the families of the Nizari leadership, and its strategic location in the middle of the [[Khorasan Road]] made it a useful base for collecting taxes from the passing caravans of the [[Silk Road]].
Gerdkuh resisted the [[Mongol campaign against the Nizaris|Mongol invasion]] of 1253 AD for 17 years, becoming the last Nizari stronghold in Persia to fall. The fortress remained in use until the early [[Safavid Iran|Safavid]] period. Among the major [[List of Ismaili castles|Nizari fortresses]], Gerdkuh is the least studied one.
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