Bam Citadel

The Arg-e-Bam is the largest adobe structure in the world, located in the city of Bam in Kerman Province in southeastern Iran.

Introduction:
This huge citadel, located on the Silk Road, was built in the 5th century BC.
According to the studies conducted in the city of Parthanisa, Ashgabat, which has a similar architecture to the Arg-e-Bam, it can be concluded that this fortress city belongs to the late Parthian and early Sasanian periods.
The Arg-e-Bam is attributed to Bahman, son of Gashtasp.
The area of ​​this citadel is nearly 180,000 square meters, surrounded by walls 6 to 7 meters high and 1,815 meters long.
The citadel consists of two separate parts, each with its own characteristics.
About 67 towers are scattered throughout the ancient city of Bam.
The entire structure is a large fortress, with the Arg-e-Bam located at its heart.
The citadel is located in the center of the military city at a point with the best view in terms of security.
Bam Citadel
Building specifications:
This historical citadel consists of several architectural types, including a fence wall, towers and ramparts, and numerous gates, a mosque, a bazaar, a tekye, a caravanserai, a school, a bathhouse, a zurkhaneh, and residential neighborhoods with noble or commoner houses, the governor’s residence, which includes a barracks, stables, a mill, the army commander’s house, and the governor’s residence, which includes the governor’s house, the four-season mansion, and a watchtower.
In the middle of the castle, the governor’s mansion was built on a natural rock, which had 5 floors and was all made of brick and mud. Columns and arches remain.

Building wonders:
In the architecture of each of the mansions, a windbreak was built that directed the wind into the structure and acted as a natural air conditioner. Interestingly, in larger and more important buildings, they used four-structured windbreaks, and in smaller buildings, single windbreaks, so that the wind would enter the house from different directions.
The next extraordinary feature was the presence of small ponds in the wind direction, which in addition to cooling the air, removed dust, and this is indicative of the unique architectural style of the Bam Citadel.
Bam Citadel
Bam Earthquake:
The 2003 earthquake in Bam destroyed more than 80% of the Citadel.
As a world cultural heritage, many countries participated in its reconstruction.
Japan, Italy, and France were among the countries that cooperated from the beginning.
The restoration project of the historical Citadel was carried out in cooperation with a group of Italian and Iranian experts and was completed in the summer of 2011.
France helped Iran by preparing a map of the Bam Citadel.
The World Bank also contributed a large amount of money to this project.

Other information:
Address: Kerman Province, Bam City, Bahman Street

Phone: 03444314520

Visit Hours: Daily from 07:00 to 17:30

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