Arg-e Bam, the Beauty of Desert in Iran

Bam Citadel is an outstanding example of an ancient trading settlement in Iran’s central plateau which was also a strategic location on the Silk Roads. In fact, Bam has connected the road to Central Asia in the east, the Persian Gulf, in the south, and Egypt in the west.

Arg-e Bam is considered the largest collection of adobe structures in the world. This citadel is one of the oldest urban settlements in the world. The tallest mansion of Bam citadel is the five-floor king’s building built on a natural rock. After Islam, two mosques and a zurkhaneh were also built there. In general, the citadel is located on a large rock, and there is a moat around it.

Arg-e Bam is protected since 1945, under Iranian National Legislation. It is also listed by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage Sites. Unfortunately, more than half of the historical Bam citadel was destroyed by the earthquake in 2003. Afterward, a team of experts coordinated by the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office and ICHHTO prepared a Comprehensive Management Plan to cover the World Heritage property. The new master plan was prepared in 2004 to preserve the key features of Bam Citadel.