Bam

Bam is a city in Kerman, Iran. This modern Iranian city surrounds the Arg-é Bam citadel which has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Bam was devastated during an earthquake in December 2003 and is still being rebuilt. Over 26,000 people were killed and thousands more injured during this quake, the worst to occur in Iranian history.

Many buses stop in Bam. Ask around at the terminal. There are shared taxis available from Kerman that seem to leave more frequently. The once-daily train running between the capital Tehran and Zahedan, at the border with Pakistan, stops in Bam.

• 🌍 Bam railway station. (updated Sep 2021)

The city stretches out a lot so you might want to use a savari or a taxi to get to the Arg.

The reconstructed fortress in 2016

See Persian Empire for background.

• 🌍 Arg-é Bam. This ancient citadel has a history dating back around 2000 years, to the Parthian dynasty (248 BC–224 AD), but most buildings were built during the Safavid dynasty. The city was largely abandoned due to an Afghan invasion in 1722, which ended Safavid rule. This site suffered badly along with the rest of the city during the 2003 earthquake. During the aftermath, some 80 percent of the citadel was shattered and the monument lay in ruins. As a World Heritage site; countries like Japan, Italy, France and more have stepped up and contributed several million dollars towards its reconstruction. Teams of western scientists have been working with Iran, using 3D mapping equipment in an effort to restore this monument to its former glory. Today it's open for tourism, but your explorations will be restricted to a small set of approved paths. 200,000 rials. (updated Apr 2017)

• 🌍 Akbar Tourist Guest House (مهمانسرای جهانگردی اکبر), ☏ +98 913 246 0831. Probably the cheapest place in town and the hub for travellers going to Pakistan. The owner is known among locals as "Akbar English". (updated Sep 2021)