Bam (Persian:بم)[3] is a city in theCentral District ofBam County,Kerman province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.[4] The modern city surrounds theancient citadel which has a history dating back to around 2,000 years ago. The citadel is a popular tourist attraction and a world heritage site. Before the2003 earthquake, the official population count of the city was roughly 43,000.[5]
There are various opinions about the date and reasons for the foundation of the citadel. Economically and commercially, Bam occupied a very important place in the region and was famous for its textiles and clothes.Ibn Hawqal (943–977), an Arab traveller and geographer, wrote of Bam in his bookSurat-ul-'Ard (The Earth-figure):
Over there they weave excellent, beautiful and long-lasting cotton cloths which are sent to places all over the world. There, they also make excellent clothes, each of which costs around 30dinars; these are sold inKhorasan,Iraq andEgypt.
The city was largely abandoned due to anAfghan invasion led byMahmud Hotak in 1722. Subsequently, after the city had gradually been re-settled, it was abandoned a second time due to an attack by invaders fromShiraz. It was also used for a time as an army barracks.
The modern city of Bam has gradually developed as an agricultural and industrial centre, and until the 2003 earthquake was experiencing rapid growth. In particular, the city is known for itsdates andcitrusfruit, irrigated by a substantial network ofqanats.
One of the most important agricultural products is Bam Mozafati date, which is famous in Iran and other countries. Mozafati Bam dates with a delicate and rich taste, with a sweet melt and an amazing taste are harvested every year in Darbam in the mountainous region of Iran. No preservatives or chemical additives are added to it. It is a fresh, natural, raw and quality product.[7]
The city also benefited fromtourism, with an increasing number of people visiting the ancient citadel.
The 2003 Bam earthquake struck Bam and the surroundingKerman province of south-eastern Iran at 01:56 UTC (5:26 AM Iran Standard Time) on 26 December 2003. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is 6.6 on themoment magnitude scale (Mw); estimated by theUnited States Geological Survey. The earthquake was particularly destructive, with the death toll amounting to 26,271 people and injuring an additional 30,000. The effects of the earthquake were exacerbated by the fact that the city chiefly consisted of mud brick buildings, many of which did not comply with earthquake regulations set in Iran in 1989, and that most of the inhabitants were indoors and asleep at the time the main tremor struck.
After the earthquake, relations between the United States and Iran temporarily thawed. The U.S. offered direct humanitarian assistance to Iran and in return the Iranian government promised to comply with an agreement with theInternational Atomic Energy Agency which supports greater monitoring of itsnuclear interests. In total a reported 44 countries sent in personnel to assist in relief operations and 60 countries offered assistance and support.
Immediately following the earthquake, the Iranian government began to plan a new city based on population control theories in order to eliminate problems that existed with the old city. The development of the plan took at least six months and resulted in significant complaints against the central government and local government by the Bam earthquake survivors.[8] Nevertheless, the government carried on its plans and currently the city is being rebuilt. The historic citadel is also being rebuilt with specialist care from the Ministry of Culture and from Japanese universities. The earthquake stalled the growth of Bam as a city, especially as about half of its residents were killed and most of the remainder hurt.[9] Costs of the earthquake mounted to between $700 million and $1 billion U.S. dollars.
On 16 March 2007 a 130 km/h (81 mph)sandstorm hit the city of Bam without warning, suffocating three children, killing two in car accidents, and injuring 14 others.[10][11]
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 73,823 in 19,572 households.[12] The following census in 2011 counted 107,131 people in 29,433 households.[13] The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 127,396 people in 39,043 households.[2]
^Bam, Iran can be found atGEOnet Names Server, atthis link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3055036" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
