Arg-e-Bam (Bam Citadel) and Its History

Arg-e-Bam (Bam Citadel) was a large urban complex of ancient earthen architecture in an arid environment. This complex was renowned for its majestic size and its peculiar impression on the visitors at first sight. The Arg-e-Bam was built on approximately 20 hectares of land over a period of 1,800 years; it was abandoned 180 years ago. The Arg was a gallery of different ancient architectural elements in its original urban concept of a city in the pre-medieval era. The whole area was constructed entirely of earthen material and was heavily damaged by the 2003 Bam earthquake. The level of destruction is about 70% on major parts of this huge monument.