Location: Bam, Kerman Province Map
Active: 500 BC-1850 AD
Arg-é Bam is the largest adobe building in the World situated in Bam, Kerman Province of Iran. Arg-é Bam was found somewhere in the 6th century BC in Achaemenid period. Its heyday came in the medieval times when it became an important site on the crossroads of the trade routes. Unfortunately it was badly damaged during earthquake on December 26, 2003. Larger than the nearby Arg-e Rayen castle, the Citadel of Bam covers an area of approximately 180,000 m², and is surrounded by gigantic walls that measure between 6 to 7 m in height and have an extension of 1,815 m. The citadel has two of the great towers for which Bam is famous - there are 67 of these towers distributed in the ancient city of Bam.
The earthquake that occurred in 2003 in Bam destroyed more than 80% of the citadel. Because it is a World Heritage site there are several countries that are cooperating in its reconstruction. Japan, Italy and France are among the countries that cooperated from the beginning. Japan has awarded Iran around $ 1.3 million for reconstruction, and has supported this project by sending teams and creating a 3D plan of the Bam Citadel to increase the accuracy of the renovation. Italy has contributed $ 300,000 for the recovery process, and has sent a group of experts to restore the main tower of Bam. France has helped Iran by providing you with the map of the Citadel. The World Bank has also contributed a large sum of money to finance this project.