The original Assassin's Creed is mainly set in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade.
The game visits major cities including Masyaf, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad travels between these locations while investigating targets connected to the Templars and the Crusades. The setting combines real medieval geography with fictional characters and the series' science-fiction framing device.
The Holy Land in the game should not be confused with Renaissance Italy, which became the principal setting of Assassin's Creed II. Nor is the game set entirely in one city: the player moves among several settlements and the Assassin stronghold at Masyaf. Its 1191 setting gives the first game its distinctive medieval atmosphere and places Altaïr within the conflict between Crusader and Saracen forces.