The Arg-e Bam ( fa, ارگ بم), located in the city of
Bam,
Kerman Province of southeastern
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,
is the largest
adobe building in the world. The entire building was a large fortress containing the
citadel
A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core.
I ...
, but because the citadel dominates the ruins, the entire fortress is now named Bam Citadel.
Listed by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
as part of the
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
"Bam and its Cultural Landscape", it can be traced back to at least the
Achaemenid Empire (sixth to fourth centuries BC). The citadel rose to importance from the seventh to eleventh centuries, as a crossroads along the
Silk Road and other important trade routes, and as a producer of silk and cotton garments.
On 26 December 2003, the citadel was almost completely destroyed by
an earthquake, along with much of the rest of Bam and its environs. A few days after the earthquake, the
President of Iran
The president of Iran ( fa, رئیسجمهور ایران, Rayis Jomhur-e Irān) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The president is the second highest-ranking official of Iran after the Supreme Leader.
The president ...
,
Mohammad Khatami, announced that the citadel would be rebuilt.
A brief history
There is no precise archaeological dating of the buildings of the Citadel of Bam. However, through historic sources and ancient texts, the first human settlement in the area can be traced back to the fort built by the
Achaemenians, around 579–323 BC. Some of the citadel’s features, such as its establishment on a platform combining a natural hilltop and a manmade terrace, have been compared by archaeologists to the Achaemenian model of
Persepolis
, native_name_lang =
, alternate_name =
, image = Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.jpg
, image_size =
, alt =
, caption = Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.
, map =
, map_type ...
.
During the
Parthian rule, the fort was expanded and became Arg-e-Bam, the Citadel of Bam. A comparative study, titled “Bam and a Brief History of Urban Settlement and Planning in Iran”, concluded that the essential core of the city of Bam and the Governor’s section were built during the Parthian era. Under the
Sassanids
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
, the castle was seized by
Ardeshir Babakan. New fortifications and walls were constructed between 224 and 637 AD.
In 645 AD, the Kerman region was conquered by the
Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
and Arg-e-Bam probably suffered damage during the war. One of the Arab commanders established the Al Rasoul mosque, one of the first mosques built in Iran in the early Islamic era. In 656 AD, the
Khawarij
The Kharijites (, singular ), also called al-Shurat (), were an Islamic sect which emerged during the First Fitna (656–661). The first Kharijites were supporters of Ali who rebelled against his acceptance of arbitration talks to settle the ...
, a group of Muslims defeated by
Ali
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...
, escaped to Kerman and Bam where they settled in the Arg-e-Bam. In 869 AD,
Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar
, title = Amir of the Saffarid dynasty
, image = مجسمه یعقوب لیث در زابل.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Statue of Ya'qub in Zabol, Iran
, reign = 861–879
, coronation =
, predece ...
who was fighting the
Abbasids, defeated the Khawarij and took over Arg-e-Bam. It then became his permanent base camp. The name of Bam is mentioned for the first time by Islamic writers in the 10th century. According to these authors, Bam was then a well established market place surrounded by a wide agricultural area. The city was famous for its elegant and tasteful cotton fabrics, its supposedly impregnable fortress, its busy bazaars, and its palm trees.
After the
Mongol invasion
The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire: the Mongol Empire (1206- 1368), which by 1300 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...
of Iran, Bam and the
Kerman region were turned over to the Qarakhataian dynasty, who ruled the region from 1240 to 1363 AD. Bam benefited from a strategic location on the spice route, connecting the region to the
Silk Road. The city was renowned for silkworm breeding and a flourishing silk industry.
During the
Safavid rule, from 1502 to 1722, Iran went through a period of relative calm and stability. Arg-e-Bam was considerably developed, as well as the rest of the country. The Four Seasons Palace was built during this period. Towards the end of the Safavid rule, Arg-e-Bam was conquered by the founder of the
Qajar dynasty,
Agha Mohammad Khan
Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar ( fa, آقا محمد خان قاجار, translit=Âqâ Mohammad Xân-e Qâjâr; 14 March 1742 – 17 June 1797), also known by his regnal name of Agha Mohammad Shah (, ), was the founder of the Qajar dynasty of Iran, rul ...
, who used the citadel as a strategic point to fend off
Afghan and Baluchi incursions and thus, turned it into a military complex. In 1839,
Aga Khan I
Aga Khan I ( fa, , Āghā Khān-i Awwal or fa, , Āqā Khān-i Awwal, link=no) or Hasan Ali Shah ( fa, , Ḥasan 'Alī Shāh, link=no) (1804–1881) was the governor of Kirman, the 46th Imam of the Nizari Ismaili Muslims, and a prominent M ...
,
Imam of the
Nizari
The Nizaris ( ar, النزاريون, al-Nizāriyyūn, fa, نزاریان, Nezāriyān) are the largest segment of the Ismaili Muslims, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasize independent ...
Ismaili sect, rose up against
Mohammad Shah Qajar and took refuge in Arg-e-Bam, until
Prince Firooz Mirza, who was later to be known as ''
Farman Farma'' (the Ruler of Rulers), arrested him. The increasing military presence within the walls of Arg-e-Bam gradually led people to settle outside the limits of the ramparts. In 1880, Firooz Mirza wrote that only military personnel were residing within the citadel area and he suggested that the old and abandoned city sitting at the foot of the citadel be demolished and the area turned into a garden. In 1900, the construction of the new city of Bam began and people progressively left the old Bam.
The citadel was used as a garrison until 1932; however, since then, the garrison and old city have been abandoned. In 1953, the site became recognized as a nationally significant historic site, and a gradual process of conservation and restoration began; however, most of the work was carried out from 1973 onwards.
After the
Islamic Revolution, Arg-e-Bam was placed under the responsibility of the
Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran
Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization ( fa, وزارت میراث فرهنگی، گردشگری و صنایع دستی ایران, ''Vâzart-e Miras-e Ferhengi-ye, Gârdâshigâri-ye vâ Sânai'-ye Dâsti-ye Iran'') is ...
(ICHO). In 1993, the citadel was designated as one of the most significant projects of the Cultural Heritage Organization.
[ ]
Citadel design and architecture
The planning and architecture of the citadel are thought out from different points of view. From the present form of the citadel, one can see that the planner(s) had foreseen the entire final form of the building and city, from the first steps in the planning process. During each phase of building development, the already-built part enjoyed a complete figure, and each additional part could be "sewn" into the existing section, seamlessly.
The citadel is situated in the center of the fortress-city, on the point with the widest view, for security.
In the architectural form of the citadel, there are two different distinguishable parts:
*The rulers' part in the most internal wall, holding the citadel, barracks, mill, 4-season house, water-well (dug in the rocky earth and about deep), and a stable for 200 horses.
* The ruled-over part surrounding the rulers' place, consisting of the main entrance of the entire fortress-city and the
bazaar, alongside of the North-to-South spinal axis (which connects the main entrance to the citadel), and around 400 houses with their associated public buildings, such as a school and sport place.
Among the houses, three different types are recognizable:
* Smaller houses with 2–3 rooms for the poor families.
* Larger houses with 3–4 rooms for the middle social class, some of which also have a veranda.
* The most luxurious houses with more rooms oriented in different directions suitable for different seasons of the year, together with a big court and a stable for animals nearby. There are few of this type of houses in the fortress.
All buildings are made of non-baked clay bricks, i.e.
adobe. Prior to the 2003 earthquake, Bam Citadel was most likely the largest adobe structure in the world.
In 1976, the Citadel was used as the major location site for
Valerio Zurlini
Valerio Zurlini (19 March 1926 – 26 October 1982) was an Italian film director, stage director and screenwriter.
Biography
During his law studies in Rome, he started working in the theatre. In 1943, he joined the Italian resistance. Zurlin ...
's film, ''
The Desert of the Tartars''.
Description of the citadel
The citadel consists of four main sections: a
residential zone, the
stables
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
, the army
barracks, and the
governor’s residence.
Arg-e-Bam had 38
watchtowers
A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...
and four entrance
gates. The outer
defense wall
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
is surrounded by a moat. The Government Quarters are on a rocky hill, protected by a double fortification wall. The most notable structures are the
bazaar, the Congregational
Mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
, the
Mirza Na’im ensemble, and
the Mir House.
Dimensions
Larger than the nearby
Rayen Castle
the Rayen Castle ( fa, ارگ راين ''Arg-e Rāyen'') is an adobe castle 100 kilometers south of Kerman province, Iran. It is situated on the outskirts of the Hezar Masjed Mountains. The medieval mudbrick city of Rayen is similar to Arg-e Ba ...
, the area of Bam Citadel is approximately and is surrounded by gigantic walls, high and long. The citadel features two of the "stay-awake towers" for which Bam is famed. There are as many as 67 such towers, scattered across the ancient city of Bam.
2003 earthquake
On 26 December 2003, at 5:26 am,
Bam was struck by a major
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
. The United States Geological Survey estimated its magnitude at 6.6, on the
Richter scale
The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...
. It also had a vertical acceleration of 1G. About 142,000 people were living in the Bam area, at the time. The extremely destructive quake killed about 26,200, injured thousands, and left more than 75,000 homeless. Approximately 70% of the buildings were destroyed. The earthquake was wrenching because its hypocenter was located just below the city of Bam, around 7 km deep.
The Bam area has an underground base consisting of a series of faults. The main one, called Bam Fault, had been inactive for a very long time. Though the earthquake was on the southern part of Bam, the main direction of the horizontal motion of the waves was East-West and was perpendicular to the direction of the main fault located around 3 km East of Bam. It seems that the Bam Fault channeled the energy of the earthquake in its direction, North-South, but at the same time, it acted like a boomerang or amplifier by sending back the energy on an East-West direction.
This was noted on the various sites where buildings which were mostly ruined had their main axis oriented North-South (Arg-e-Bam, Bam and the villages on the East of Bam). Therefore, they could not withstand the waves coming from the East (Bam) or West (villages east of Bam) and perpendicular to them.
Buildings that had their main axis oriented East-West were in the same direction of the seismic waves and they responded much better; some of their parts were damaged, but they were not totally ruined. They also presented the typical shear cracks when the
ground motion
Ground motion is the movement of the earth's surface from earthquakes or explosions. Ground motion is produced by seismic waves that are generated by sudden slip on a fault or sudden pressure at the explosive source and travel through the earth a ...
is in the direction of the wall plane.
The structures that had been maintained and repeatedly modified or expanded over time fared much worse than did the ancient structures that had not been maintained, modified, or restored. The same intriguing phenomenon could be observed on the structures partially or entirely strengthened and restored during the late 20th century.
Consequences of the earthquake
The citadel, including the governor’s residence, the main tower, the Chahar Fasl (Four Seasons) turret, and the
hammam
A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the Islamic culture, culture of the Muslim world and ...
, were nearly totally destroyed, especially because of their location on top of the hill. The rocky hill concentrated the energy of the earthquake. In addition, these buildings collapsed because their foundations were resting on inhomogeneous ground, made of rocks and earth filling. The earth filling slipped with the ground motion. The city at the foot of the castle was nearly flattened, especially the parts that previously had been restored. Most of the vaulted roofs were cracked or severely damaged, because the walls below suffered too much.
No restoration had been undertaken for the Konariha quarter, before the earthquake. It was already severely ruined, and there were just a few structures left, of eroded vaults and domes. Paradoxically, this part of the city had less damage than the part which had been restored, though the ramparts all around collapsed. Only a few walls collapsed and some debris, of already broken vaulted roofs, fell down.
No restoration had been undertaken either for the
Zoroastrian temple, just behind Arg-e-Bam, or the Khale Dokhtar citadel, 2 km North of Arg-e-Bam. Before the earthquake, they already were severely ruined and the earthquake did not damage them, as much as the restored city of Arg-e-Bam. The Khale Dokhtar citadel did not have many vaulted roofs left, before the earthquake. The main damage was a tower, and some additional debris from previously collapsed vaults and domes. The Khale Dokhtar citadel can be traced back to the Sassanid Period, and is believed to be older than Arg-e-Bam.
Three kilometers east of Arg-e-Bam are the Summer Pavilion, Kushk Rahim Abad, and an old
caravanserai. Both were not damaged further by the earthquake. The summer pavilion was already severely ruined before the earthquake. The old caravanserai had been abandoned long ago, and some of its parts had previously collapsed. In fact, the earthquake damaged this caravanserai very little, compared to the average situation in Arg-e-Bam, Bam, and the villages further east. The reason seemed that it was well built with sound details, compared to the average building quality of the area.
Gallery
File:010213-Kerman-IMG 0371-2.jpg, alt=Arg-e Bam, Kerman, Iran
File:010213-Bam-IMG 0316-2.jpg, alt=Arg-e Bam, Kerman, Iran
File:010213-Kerman-IMG 0354-2.jpg, alt=Arg-e Bam, Kerman, Iran
File:010213-Bam-IMG 0316-2.jpg, alt=Arg-e Bam, Kerman, Iran
File:010213-Kerman-IMG 0323-2.jpg, alt=Arg-e Bam, Kerman, Iran
File:010213-Kerman-IMG 0294-2.jpg, alt=Arg-e Bam, Kerman, Iran
See also
*
List of Iranian castles
*
Iranian architecture
Iranian architecture or Persian architecture ( Persian: معمارى ایرانی, ''Memāri e Irāni'') is the architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its history dates back to at least 5,000 BC ...
*
List of World Heritage Sites in Iran
References
*''The original text was a translation by of the article ''"Bam-Citadelo"'', originally written in
Esperanto language by Asad Mahbub, first appeared in
Irana Esperantisto (Iranian Esperantist), No. 4, Year 2, Summer 2003, 40 p., pp. 5–7. Permission has been granted for its use in Wikipedia. Its sources were:''
*''Nimrokhi az Arge Bam'' (Bam Citadel at a Glance), by Davood Yousofzadeh, Bam: M. Mohammadi-zade, 1998, p. 160.
External links
Bam and its Cultural Landscape (World Heritage List)– documentary film
Photos of the Bam CitadelMore photos of the citadelIran Cultural Heritage Organisation Site on Arge BamIran Cultural Heritage Organisation Site – Reconstruction Photos* High-resolution 360° Panoramas of th
Bam Citadel , Art Atlas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arg-E Bam
Buildings and structures completed in the 6th century BC
Castles in Iran
Achaemenid castles
Architecture in Iran
Tourist attractions in Bam, Iran
World Heritage Sites in Danger
Buildings and structures in Kerman Province
National works of Iran