Past Watch Site

Thought to have been founded as a Parthian military outpost in the Dasht’e Desert sometime in the third to second centuries b.c., the Arg-e-Bam, or citadel of Bam, is the largest extant mud-brick complex in the world. It was built and rebuilt several times during its turbulent history, particularly during the Sassanian (a.d. 224–637) and Safavid periods (1502–1736), when Bam flourished as a trading hub and pilgrimage center.

After a devastating Afghan attack in 1722, many of Bam’s citizens fled. The city later became a military garrison and was eventually abandoned. The ancient city had been remarkably well preserved until a devastating earthquake that struck the region on December 26, 2003, leaving in its wake 40,000 dead and 85 percent of Bam’s standing architecture in ruins, including the citadel. Buildings damaged in the recent quake are particularly susceptible to wind erosion and biological attack and must be stabilized. Moreover, an unanticipated consequence of the disaster and subsequent debris-clearing efforts was the discovery of previously unknown archaeological remains, which must also be stabilized and conserved.

UPDATE

December 2010: Bam and its Cultural Landscape remain on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Iran is making progress in meeting the minimum requirements for removal from the endangered list stipulated in the 2007 session of the World Heritage Committee. Funds for conservation projects have been provided by UNESCO, but more than $100 million are needed for the complete restoration of the citadel, according to the Bam Cultural Heritage and Tourism Foundation. A restoration project by an Italian team took place in Bam Citadel in 2008.

Last update: December 2010