Instance of Building Typology
{Citadel of Bam (Arg-é Bam), ارگ بم, バムの城塞, Citadelle de Bam, Zitadelle von Bam}
Building Name-Multilingual Equivalents--Terminology
Citadel of Bam (Arg-é Bam)
ارگ بم
バムの城塞
Citadelle de Bam
Zitadelle von Bam
Building Type-Explanation
A city fortified by defensive walls located in Bam, Kerman province, Iran
Historical Summary--Core Data Index Metadata
The history of the citadel of Bam (Arg-e-Bam) can be investigated from three major resources: the myths and stories from ancient times, the descriptions from travelogues, and remains of the buildings inside the Citadel or in the region of Bam. Highlights are listed as below:
Pre-Islamic history:
1-250 thousand pieces of pottery, of which some date back to the 3rd millennium BC, were discovered in the Citadel from the removal of debris (Ahmadi, 1387 Hijri Shamsi (solar)).
2-Coins in the Citadel were discovered that belong to the Parthian period (150 BC- 224 AD) (Armanshahr, 1372 Hijri Shamsi (solar)).
3-A large city belonging to Achaemenid (550–330 BC) and Parthian (150 BC- 224 AD) periods was discovered near Baravat in the Bam region south of the Citadel. Four mihrab-like pieces and pieces of pottery specify the period. A large qanat watering system was discovered near the fault of Bam to support the city’s location in dry desert (Adle, Ataai, 1383, 1385 Hijri Shamsi (solar)).
4-In the Sasanian period (226–651 AD) There is a story in The Karnamak-i Ardeshir-i Papakan [Deeds of Ardashir, an epical treatise about the founder of the Sassanid dynasty] about a worm that brought luck for a family named Haftvad and made them rich by producing textile. They received power and became rulers of Kajaran. The worm became big and Haftvad built a house near Governor’s District of the city on top of a rock named Kod-e-Kerm. Ardeshir fought Haftvad and defeated him and killed the worm by feeding it molten metal that produced a loud sound “bam” from the dying worm. There is a gate in the Citadel named Kod-e-Kerm and a district named Kuzaran in the north west of new city of Bam (Ferdowsi, 1353 Hijri Shamsi (solar)),(Mehriyar, 1383 Hijri Shamsi (solar)).
5-In the Book “Bamnameh”, it is said that the deep water well [on top of the cliff of the Citadel] was made by prophet Soleiman and Rostam [a mythical hero of Iran]. Rostam brought craftsmen to dig stone and tools from Egypt and dug down into the well (Vaziri Kermani, 1346 Hijri Shamsi (solar)) [Rostam might refer to Achaemenid (550–330 BC) or Sassanid (226-651 AD) periods].
6-The buildings in the Governor’s District, on top of the cliff of the Citadel, have probable resemblance to the city of Firuzabad [built by Ardeshir, founder of the Sassanid dynasty]. Similar elements are as follows (Nourbakhsh 2535 [1353 Hijri Shamsi (solar)]);
• the Fire tower, (watch tower of the Citadel),
• four Vaults (Chartaghi) for holding fire (Atashgah), (Four seasons or ChaharFasl building of the Citadel), and
• water resources, like a spring or a water well, that is dug inside a rock because ancient Persians believed that Nahid or the Water Goddess, was born from stone, (deep water well in the Governor’s District of the Citadel).
7-The Qale Dokhtar Citadel situated near the north of the Citadel has ancient mud brick buildings similar to the Four Vaults (Chartaghi), a mihrab with ancient decoration, its name also refers to structures before the Sassanid period (Nourbakhsh 2535 [1353 Hijri Shamsi (solar)]).
8-The old gate of the Citadel cited to belong to the Sassanian period (Mehriar, 1383 Hijri Shamsi (solar)). [Also after the earthquake, newer layers were destroyed and older mud brick structures became evident with large mud bricks similar to ancient constructions belonging to the Elamit period (3200 BC -539 BC)].
The history after Islam:
1-Mohammed Abul-Kassem ibn Hawqal (travelled 943-969 AD) mentioned the Citadel of Bam and a Jame mosque in the Citadel in his book. He wrote about very fine cotton and also silk textiles produced in Bam that was famous in Khorasan, Iraq and in Egypt (Ibn Hawqal, 1345 Hijri Shamsi (solar))
2-Muhammad ibn Ahmad Shams al-Din Al-Muqaddasi (died 1000 AD) mentioned the Citadel of Bam, a Jame mosque, and some Bazaars in the Citadel. He wrote that the buildings were made from sticky mud [very resistant mud in front of rain or erosion]. He added that the textile of Bam is famous throughout the Islamic lands (Al Muqaddasi, 1361 Hijri Shamsi (solar))
3-The mosque [Jame Mosque] of the Citadel had several periods of construction starting from the Saffarid dynasty (861 to 1003 AD). Its huge iwan (resembling the great iwans of Parthian (150 BC- 224 AD) and Sassanid (226-651 AD) periods). Its huge scale resembles the Jame mosque and the Arg Alishah in Tabriz, which depicts the vanished greatness of the Saffarid period (Pop, Nourbakhsh, 2535 [1353 Hijri Shamsi (solar)]).
4-In 1183 AD after Toqrol Seljuk died, his sons started fights. In a fight of Arsalan Seljuk, the Citadel was mostly destroyed, they brought water from a river and filled the moat and destroyed the city walls. After this event, and during the invasion of Ghoz to Kerman the region was mostly destroyed, especially the qanat systems (Aasefi Heravi, 1343 Hijri Shamsi (solar)). [The inhabitants who remained after the vast destruction in the bigger city came inside the walls of the present day Citadel and the large citadel shrank to its current size. They replaced the large and luxurious buildings and rich districts with small ordinary houses]. This event might have happened in 1409 AD by the order of Teimorid governor of the city (Tayyari, 1383 Hijri Shamsi (solar)).
5-In the period of Nader Shah Afshar (1736–47 AD, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty) the silk of Bam was sent as a gifts to India (Mostowfi, 1351 Hijri Shamsi (solar)).
6-Mohammad Hassan ibn Ali Etemad Al Saltaneh (around 1870 AD) mentioned the Citadel of Bam and production of textiles in the city of Bam in his book. He also described the incident of Loftali khan e Zand (the last king of the Zand dynasty 1750–1794 AD) who was caught and killed by Agha Mohammad khan (the first king of the Qajar dynasty 1794 to 1925 AD) in the Citadel of Bam in 1794 AD (Etemad Al Saltaneh, 1372 Hijri Shamsi (solar)).
7-Second surrounding walls, stable, house of commander, barrack, small caravanserai (or school?), possibly belong to the Ilkhanat (1256-1335 AD) or Teimorid (1370, 1507 AD) periods. The Four Season building possibly belongs to the Safavid period (1501/1502 to 1722 AD) (Nourbakhsh 2535 [1353]). Parts of mosque were also built in the Safavid period. There is a chalk-molded alter in the northwest side of the mosque with an inscription that dates back to 1751 AD (Tayyari, 1383 Hijri Shamsi (solar)).
8-The School of Mirzanaim and its adjacent 3 houses belong to the Qajar period (1794 to 1925 AD). There is a tomb in the School of Mirzanaim, which belongs to Haj seyyed Mohammad, father of the founder of the school and one of the most respected clergy of the Qajar period. Parts of the Governor’s House, House of Sistani, and the bazaar seem to have been also built in the Qajar period (Tayyari, 1378 Hijri Shamsi (solar)).
9-The Citadel became deserted around the end of Qajar period (1925 AD) (Vaziri Kermani, 1346 Hijri Shamsi (solar))
Input Dataset
3D cartographic map
General plan surveyed before earthquake
Location-Cartographic Reference--Core Data Index Metadata
UTM Co-ordinates, from 3D cartographic map (IFCA project) appoximately central point
Location-Geographic Co-ordinates
Latitude and longitude, from Google Earth
Material and Technique--Core Data Index Metadata
{adobe, brick}{lime, tile (pavement), mud and sieved straw, mud and straw, rubble (pavement), chalk decoration, chalk trim}
Satellite Image
Citadel of Bam (Arg-e Bam).jpg