The International Committee of the Blue Shield (ICBS) Quake razes a jewel of Iranian heritage

The citadel of Bam, one of the wonders of Iranian heritage, before and after the earthquake which hit the southeastern province of Kerman. Images: AFP

December 27, 2003

Virtually levelled in Friday's devastating earthquake, the historic heart of Bam was one of the wonders of Iran's cultural heritage, boasting a 2000-year-old citadel that was the largest mud-brick structure in the world.

Built entirely of mud bricks, clay, straw and the trunks of palm trees, the city's old quarter dates from pre-Islamic times, although most of the monuments were from Iran's modern heyday under the Safavid rulers of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Then, the city occupied six square kilometres, was surrounded by a rampart with 38 towers, and had a population of between 9000 and 13,000.

Standing on a vast plain between the Barez and Kabudi mountain ranges, Bam prospered from the pilgrims visiting its Zoroastrian fire temple and as a commercial and trading centre on the famous Silk Road between the Far East and Europe.

The five-storey citadel, constructed entirely from unbaked bricks, had undergone frequent repairs over the years but traced its origins back to the Parthian era around the time of Christ.

The city's grand mosque dates from the 10th century.

An oasis in the arid Dasht-e Kavir region known as the Emerald of the Desert, Bam boasts extensive underground water reserves, which have watered rich palm groves and citrus gardens.

The city is renowned for its oranges, tangerines and sweet lemons, and for its dates.

Bam declined in importance following an Afghan invasion 1722. The city was used as a barracks for the army until 1932 and then completely abandoned.

Intensive restoration work began in 1953 and had continued until today. The city has been declared a world heritage site by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

In the past, Bam was a major draw for the few foreign tourists visiting the Islamic republic.

But in recent years several overseas holiday makers have been kidnapped by the drug-traffickers who have plagued Iran's eastern borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan, turning the country into a major transit point for opium and cannabis destined for Europe and the Gulf.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/

Wonder of Iranian heritage wiped out

Historic buildings, including a 2,000-year-old citadel, have been devastated by the earthquake

TEHERAN - In one street, only a wall and the trees were standing.

The devastating earthquake which struck Iran yesterday virtually levelled the historic heart of Bam, one of the wonders of Iran's cultural heritage. The city - a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation world heritage site - boasted a 2,000-year-old citadel that was the largest and oldest mud-brick structure still standing on earth before yesterday.

Bam's governor, Mr Mohammad Ali Karimi, told the official Irna news agency that a large part of the 300m by 200m Arg-e-Bam citadel - containing fortifications, towers, buildings, stables and a mosque - was razed. An AFP journalist said the castle was completely destroyed.

Iranian television said about 70 per cent of the buildings in Bam, a popular tourist destination some 1,000km south-east of the capital Teheran, had collapsed in the earthquake which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale.

A reporter for Turkey's private NTV channel said Bam looked as if it had been hit by a bomb.

"People are trying to pull bodies out of the rubble. All windows are smashed," said the reporter.

"People have started walking towards Kerman - many complaining of a lack of aid."

Kerman city is 190km north-west of Bam.

Witnesses said the road to Bam, a city and environs of some 200,000 people, was choked with ambulances and people desperate to find family members.

In town, many houses had been flattened and squares were packed with crying children and people left without a home, huddled in blankets to protect them from the cold.

Corpses shrouded in blankets were hauled into vans.

"I have lost all my family. My parents, my grandmother and two sisters are under the rubble," said Maryam, 17.

Families scoured the rubble to salvage household goods.

State media said two of Bam's hospitals had collapsed, crushing many of the staff, and remaining hospitals were full. The wounded were being ferried to neighbouring towns.

Red Crescent chief spokesman Mehran Nourbakhsh said telephone, water and electricity links to Bam had been severed.

Built entirely of mud bricks, clay, straw and the trunks of palm trees, the city's old quarter dates back to pre-Islamic times, although most of the monuments were from Iran's modern heyday under the Safavid rulers of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Then, the city occupied 6sq km, was surrounded by a rampart with 38 towers, and had a population of between 9,000 and 13,000.

Located in a vast plain between the Barez and Kabudi mountain ranges, Bam prospered because of pilgrims visiting its Zoroastrian fire temple and as a commercial and trading centre on the famous Silk Road between China and Europe.

The five-storey citadel, constructed entirely of unbaked bricks, had undergone frequent repairs over the years but traced its origins back to the Parthian era around the time of Christ.

The city's grand mosque dates from the 10th century.

An oasis in the arid Dasht-e Kavir region known as the Emerald of the Desert, Bam boasts extensive underground water reserves, which have allowed the planting of rich palm groves and citrus gardens.

The city is renowned for its oranges, tangerines and sweet lemons.

Bam declined in importance following an Afghan invasion in 1722. The city was used as a barracks for the army until 1932.

Intensive restoration work began in 1953 and had continued until the present.

Source: AFP, AP, Reuters