Bam Citadel

Bam, Iran, Iran

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The Bam Citadel (Arg-e Bam) is an ancient, vast mud‑brick fortress in southeastern Iran that developed over more than two millennia as a fortified oasis city and a Silk Road crossroads.

Built on an artificial mound and surrounded by high adobe walls, towers and a moat, the complex once covered roughly 180,000 square meters and contained bazaars, mosques, residences and public buildings that reflected its role as a regional commercial and agricultural center.

Archaeological evidence and historical sources link its origins to at least the pre‑Achaemenid and Achaemenid periods (several centuries BCE), with peak urban importance between the 7th and 11th centuries when textile production and trade flourished there.

On 26 December 2003 a major earthquake nearly destroyed the citadel and much of the modern city, prompting large‑scale international and national reconstruction and conservation efforts aimed at restoring its adobe structures while documenting what remained.