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Bam
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How it came to be
Bam is an oasis town in the desert of south-eastern Iran whose origins go back to the Achaemenid period, between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. It was at its height from the 7th to the 11th century, a strategic stop on the Silk Roads known for silk and cotton cloth. The qanats, underground channels that watered the oasis, are among the earliest in Iran, and some still work.
The citadel, Arg-e Bam, was built of layered mud and sun-dried brick. The Four Seasons Palace went up in the Safavid era, and under the Qajars the citadel became a military complex. Once building of a new town began in 1900, residents moved out gradually, and when the garrison left in 1932 the old town was abandoned.
The earthquake of 26 December 2003 killed about 26,200 people and almost completely destroyed the citadel. In 2004 Bam was inscribed and placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger at the same time, and it was removed from that list in 2013.
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