Masyaf is the headquarters of the Assassins in the original Assassin's Creed.
In the game's 1191 setting, Masyaf is a fortified mountain settlement in Syria and the base of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Brotherhood. The fortress is led by Al Mualim, who directs the Assassins and sends Altaïr on missions against influential Templar targets.
Masyaf serves as more than a headquarters. It is where Altaïr receives training, reports to his mentor, and returns after missions in Jerusalem, Damascus, and Acre. Its dramatic mountain fortress gives the opening and closing sections of the game a distinct visual identity.
Players sometimes identify one of the mission cities as the headquarters because those locations occupy much of the story. Jerusalem, Damascus, and Acre are major destinations, but Masyaf is the Brotherhood's home base in the original title.