Masyaf is the mountain fortress featured in the original Assassin’s Creed.
In the 2007 game, Masyaf serves as the headquarters of the Assassin Brotherhood in the Holy Land. Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad returns there between missions to receive instructions, report to his mentor, and interact with other members of the order. The settlement is presented as a fortified mountain community overlooking the surrounding landscape.
The game’s historical fiction draws on the medieval Levant and incorporates real figures, places, and political groups into its story. Masyaf was also a real fortress associated with the Nizari Ismaili state in present-day Syria. Players may confuse it with Alamut, another historically important fortress linked to the Nizari Ismailis, but Alamut is not the headquarters shown in the original game. Monteriggioni is instead associated with Ezio’s family estate in Assassin’s Creed II.