Knowra Arg-e Bam Arg-e Bam Arg-e Bam is a large historic adobe citadel in Bam, southeastern Iran. A major earthquake in 2003 destroyed much of the complex, which is now being restored.
Adobe : A building material made from earth, water, and often plant fibers, shaped into bricks and dried in the sun. Sun-dried earthen bricks formed the citadel’s walls and buildings.
城郭 settlement : An urban settlement enclosed by defensive walls, often with gates and controlled approaches. The inhabited enclosure made defense part of the city’s everyday form.
Achaemenid Empire : An ancient Iranian empire that ruled a large territory from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE. Bam’s strategic region had a long history of settlement and imperial control.
2003 Bam earthquake : A magnitude 6.6 earthquake that struck Bam, Iran, on December 26, 2003, causing extensive loss of life and destruction. The earthquake destroyed much of the citadel and devastated the surrounding city.
Bam and its Cultural Landscape : A UNESCO World Heritage property encompassing the Arg-e Bam citadel and the historic oasis landscape around Bam. The heritage property treats the citadel as part of a living landscape, not an isolated ruin.
Bam : A city in southeastern Iran, historically situated in an oasis region near major routes across the Iranian plateau. The citadel developed beside the settlement and gardens of this oasis city.
Rampart : A broad defensive embankment or wall raised to protect a fortified place. Massive earthen ramparts enclosed and protected the citadel.
Parthian Empire : An Iranian empire that ruled from the third century BCE to the third century CE. The citadel’s early history is associated with settlement in the Parthian period.
UNESCO World Heritage Site : A place inscribed by UNESCO for cultural or natural value considered significant to humanity. Arg-e Bam was inscribed after the earthquake because of its heritage significance and vulnerability.
Rayen Castle : A large adobe fortress in Kerman Province, Iran, often compared with Arg-e Bam for its construction and regional setting. Its better-preserved earthen fortifications offer a regional comparison with Bam.
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