city (1986 pop. 248,591), Tehran prov., NW Iran. A road and
rail-transport center, the city has textile and flour mills, and
wineries. Qazvin was probably founded by Shapur II, king of
Persia, in the 4th cent. A.D. It was captured by the Arabs in
644. Hasan-i Sabbah, the founder of the secret Ismaili Assassin
order, seized (c.1090) the nearby fortress of Alamut and made it
the headquarters of the order. Shah Tahmasp I embellished the
city with many fine buildings. It was the capital of Persia from
1548 to 1598. In 1722 the city was temporarily captured by the
Afghans. During World War I it was occupied by Russian
forces. In 1941 the city was bombed by the Soviet air force and
after World War II was a stronghold during the brief Soviet
occupation of N Iran. The city is also known as Kazvin and
Kasbin.

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