Director: Peter Mimi
Eleventh-century power struggles and a secretive militant order form the backdrop of "Al Hashashin," a 2024 Egyptian historical drama directed by Peter Mimi.
What is Al Hashashin about?
The story is set against the political turbulence of the eleventh century, when regional rulers, scholars, and warlords competed for influence across a fractured landscape. At the center is Hassan al-Sabbah, whose rise as the organizer of a covert group known for carrying out targeted strikes against powerful figures reshapes the balance of the region. Rather than presenting him as a simple villain or hero, the series traces the circumstances, alliances, and betrayals that push him toward building this network, and how each move ripples outward into court politics, religious authority, and military campaigns of the era. Episodes shift between palace intrigue and the group's own internal discipline, showing how loyalty was earned and enforced within the order. The production leans into large-scale period detail, from costuming to fortress settings, to render the era's shifting borders and fragile truces.
Cast & crew
Karim Abdel Aziz takes on the role of Hassan al-Sabbah, carrying much of the series' dramatic weight through a character whose motivations shift as his influence grows. Ahmed Eid and Fathy Abdel Wahab appear in key supporting roles, joined by Nicolas Mouawad, Ahmad Abdolvahab, Nedal Al Shafey, Myrna Nour El Din, and Gihan El Shamashergy across the wider cast that populates the era's competing courts and camps.
Context & significance
"Al Hashashin" belongs to a wave of high-budget Egyptian and Gulf television productions that have turned to pre-modern history for source material, favoring extensive sets and location shooting over studio-bound staging. The historical figure at its center has long been referenced in Western and Middle Eastern accounts alike, and the series approaches that history as dramatic material rather than a strict document, compressing and dramatizing events for narrative pacing.
Where & how to watch
"Al Hashashin" streams on K-Time with a free account login, through an interface built in Farsi for Persian-speaking viewers. The series is offered with Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles, giving audiences the option to watch in whichever format they find easier to follow.