Bam

See also: Arg-E Bam

A citadel in adobe (khesht in Persan) and wallow (chiney into Persan) dominates the heights of the town of Bam.

Formerly stage of the Silk route, the citadel, called in Persan Arg-E Bam , date probably 2500 years, the period Parthian. However, the majority of its buildings date from the dynasty Safavide. Parthes knew their apogee in Ier front century J-C, time of the creation of roads by which the Eastern products bound for Mésopotamie and of the Romain Empire passed. The trade ensured the prosperity of the city a long time, initially under Sassanides (224-642), and more still under the dynasty of Safavides (1502-1722). Then populated of more than 5000 inhabitants, the main activity, in addition to the trade, is the manufacture of textile there. After the collapse of the Safavide dynasty, the empire enters during one time of chaos during which the Iranian population passes from 40 million to 10 million inhabitants. Bam suffers as the remainder from the country of the chronic insecurity and political instability. The dynasty of Kadjar founded in 1796 by Aga Kan will reign in Iran until 1925. The inexorable decline of Bam will be precipitated by the curse of the Aga Kan, which will be avenged in 1794 for protection that the city gave to its rival, the last sovereign of the Zend dynasty. In 1850, the Kadjar Shah orders with the population which remains to leave the old city, the protection of the citadel having become useless, and to settle along the palm plantation. The soldiers settle then in the citadel which will not be inhabited any more, and in 1920, it is already completely left with the abandonment. Renovation works of the citadel, started in years 1950 really became extensive in the years 1980.

The citadel was used as decoration for the film the Desert of the Tartars (1976) of Valerio Zurlini, according to the Romance of Dino Buzzati.

The modern city

The earthquake

The citadel entirely built out of ground had not been inhabited any more nor maintained for more than 80 years. Erosion in particular damaged a good number of structures. In addition, no earthquake not having taken place with Bam of memory of man, the citadel was built by using techniques specifically adapted to the seismic context. Lastly, renovation works, which did not take either account of a seismic risk in general weakened constructions.

The modern city as for it was built of a heteroclite whole of materials: In addition to traditional ground constructions, one could especially find steel or reinforced concrete constructions with cooked brick fillings. Often the various techniques were mixed in the same building, a stage out of concrete added on a ground house for example. All in all, the quality of constructions was rather low, for mainly economic reasons, but also for lack of labor qualified on these materials known as modern. Constructions which were well carried out resisted overall well, whatever the material used, but the majority crumbled. The fact that the seism took place the night still worsened the assessment.

The process of rebuilding is currently in hand.

External bonds

• /Iran Tourism