I often remember the moment at which the earthquake of 2003, a disaster that ended so many lives, occurred in Bam. I remember people who had, through great effort, made a life of their own and then suddenly found themselves alone and lonely amidst the devastation of all they had worked for — but hopeful for the future they would build. I remember children who had lost their mother, father, or entire family and then found the strength to carry on and start a family of their own. I remember those who are now gone and those who today wish that they were not here. I remember those who had offered their hospitality to tourists from all over the world and who, after that incident, hoped for kindness and hospitality in return. I remember the kind and generous people who helped — without expecting a reward — those in need and who hold dear the memories of the many people, especially children, whom they assisted in Bam. Perhaps it is my responsibility as a citizen of that city to recount, from documentation and personal memories, the disaster that destroyed Bam so that others will also remember.

The profound effects of the earthquake of 2003 on the people of Bam are never far from my thoughts. Those effects may be greater than the influence of the rulers Ardashir, Bahman, and Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar and even more far-reaching than the aftermath of the Iranian revolution in 1979. The people of Bam have commemorated the year 2003 in their history. As do they, I divide that history into life before and after the earthquake that occurred year. I shall try my best to describe Bam in the days preceding and following that terrible event and to envision the future of that city. In this paper, I discuss the history and climate of Bam, describe the earthquake of 2003 and its importance to other countries, and examine events that occurred after that quake.

In recent years the world has witnessed impressive progress in science and all aspects of life and civilization. Progress in Iran has been no exception, albeit somewhat slower than that in some developed countries.  Iranians today might expect more progress, but despite impressive recent advances and the absolute power of Iran 2500 years ago, prosperity and rapid growth now occur most rapidly in the West. In the following text, I shall discuss the history of Bam in the context of its prior achievements and current challenges.

The Citadel

The development of the Citadel of Bam reflected the early role of government in the economic and cultural evolution of that city and may have contributed to its name. The poet Hakim Ferdowsi, however, believed that Bam is derived from Bahman, the name of Esfandyar’s son who was murdered by Rostam. Bahman was executed in Darzin, which is near Bam.

On January 5, 2003 (the date on which the most recent massive earthquake occurred), the Citadel of Bam was 2000 years old. Although the destruction wrought by that quake approached annihilation, some evidence of construction that was 2500 years old remained after that disaster. It is said that Ardashir Babakan (206–241 BC) came to Bam in response to insurgency that occurred under the rule of the city governor Haftvad, who established Bam over a volcano to protect the city residents from enemy attack. The Citadel of Bam, which is in the northwest of the old city, was eventually constructed; it was surrounded by defensive walls and trenches and was designed to ensure the security of the city residents.

Bam, which is in southeast Iran, is in the center of the routes that connect Afghanistan and Sistan-Baluchestan. Thus that city was of military and commercial importance in the Sassanid era. In 1131 anno Hegirae (AH; in the year of the Hijra), Bam was captured by Mahmoud Afghan, but due to a rebellion in Kandahar, he ceded the governance of Bam to Kandahar. Then, in 1134 AH, Mahmoud Afghan established hegemony over Bam, which continued until Nader defeated Ashraf Afghan in 1143 AH. In 1209 AH, Lotfalikhan Zand was arrested in Bam by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar. The subsequent development of Bam resulted from several factors: exchange and communication through Silk Road trading between India and Mesopotamia, the military need to dominate the plains of Sistan and Baluchestan, and an abundance of water, qanats, and fertile soil.

The Bam plain, which consists of wide terrain with a low slope, is suitable for human settlement. A large quantity of water has collected under that area, although annual rainfall on the plain is less than 100 mL. This land is separated from the Narmashir plain by the Afraz fault. The difference in altitude that occurs within a distance of 170 km over the plain is surprising. A significant change in temperature and humidity occurs approximately 2700 to 2800 meters across the plain, and wind and storms develop frequently on the peak of the Reagan, which is east of Bam.

According to statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the average length of a Bam qanat is 8 to 10 km, and the maximum length is 30 km. Water pumps supply an average of 80 to 100 L/s of water. The most recent data from the governor’s office and city health department in Bam, which were collected in 2005, indicate that at that time there were 91 qanats in the city and suburbs and 261 qanats in Narmashir. An aerial map of Bam shows that during the 4 decades, the area allotted to permanent gardens has been increased in Bam.

It has been said that wherever there is water, there is life. The fault lines beneath Bam, which have brought water and life to that area, have brought death as well. But even after the tremendous devastation and death caused by the earthquake of 2003, the residents of that ancient city found — and embraced — life.

Sayks describes Bam from 1862 to 1922 as a great and wealthy city with abundant vines and palm trees. Eventually, the residents of Bam left the old city and founded their gardens and built their fences in the expanding development of the new city, which today offers markets, mosques, and residential neighborhoods. Thus the garden city of Bam was established.

Some of the ancient monuments and buildings in Bam were destroyed even before the earthquake of 2003. An underground cistern was demolished when Jafari Street was widened in 2002, and other buildings were destroyed during postquake reconstruction. Many ancient buildings that collapsed during the earthquake have remained in ruins because of a lack of budget and low priority. However, some ancient parts of the city, such as the Bam Market and the Asiri and Zayd shrines, have received special assistance from the Miras Farhangi and the Iranian government because of their historical importance.

The Asiri Shrine is the tomb of a martyr from the Seljuk period (1037–1194 AH). Surrounding rooms shape the first market in the new city like an old dress worn by a pretty girl. In the Seljuk era, Bam was a trade center. Several large markets with caravanserais like the Mir panj Ibrahim Khan Caravanserai (Amir) were built to host the merchants who sold high-quality agricultural products in the city. The Amir Inn is in the middle of the Amir Market, which was established in 1902. Next to a pool, there are a few cisterns and a tekiyeh. In 1950, the Amir caravanserai, tekiyeh, and cisterns were demolished when new streets were constructed.

Bam had 700 qanats, which provided a reliable source of water, and was riddled with many ancient passes, the oldest of which was in Dashtooeieh. In that neighborhood, there once were many aristocratic houses that were fully staffed and included a stable, pool, and garden. A number of those buildings have been registered by the Miras Farhangi as historic monuments.

Cotton has always been a major export from Bam because of that city’s climate and soil quality. An increase in the number of merchants selling henna, cotton, and wheat resulted in the urbanization of Bam around 1280. The resultant construction, which was built in the old style of Persian markets and cities, housed coppersmiths, blacksmiths, shoemakers, and weavers, all of whom contributed to the rise of Bam as an industrial city.

The relics of Bam provide evidence of the full glory of Iran’s history, and the Citadel is a highlight of that achievement. In that ancient city, the following distinct sectors, which arose from common kinship, beliefs, and economic and social status, evolved:

• The Market district
• The Jame mosque neighborhood
• The Konarian neighborhood
• The Jewish neighborhood
• The government district
• The Zoroastrian neighborhood
• The Sadat neighborhood

Today in the new city of Bam, kinship still defines neighborhoods. Zoroastrians live in the northwest city, merchants reside in the Market area and near the Shrine of Zayd, and the wealthy live in the more beautiful areas of the city. About 200 years ago, when residents of the old city began to leave the Citadel for the new city, the ancient values of servant and master, which were based on 2500 years of history and tradition, began to pale and were slowly replaced by the new values of civic identity, interaction, and collaboration. As that modernization progressed, the people of Bam left in the Citadel the secrets and mysteries of many ancient rulers. However, environmental conditions have caused the once-expanding neighborhoods of Bam to dwindle, and many of the advantages that the new city offered have become liabilities. For example, a fading textile industry and the excellent quality of Bam’s Mazafati dates have resulted in single-product agriculture. During the past 20 years, drought, the lack of essential technology for packing and preserving exported dates, and the ever-increasing cost of harvesting date crops have caused the failure of that industry.

Modern Government in Bam

In 1938, Iran was divided into 13 provinces that included 49 cities. Each city was run by a governor. Bam was established as a city center with the dependent areas of Sabzevaran (Jiroft), Sardueiyeh, Kahnuj, Bandar Abbas, Minab, Jask, Qeshm, Khash, and Iranshahr. In addition to its influence on regional economics, Bam had both political and administrative roles in a vast region.

Tourism and the Arts in Bam

The concept of developing tourism as a source of city revenue was first explored in Bam around 1972. A group of advisers who studied national tourist attractions rated the Citadel of Bam as a 4 of 5 (the highest rating reflected interest in Persepolis). Those experts emphasized that restoring and maintaining ancient buildings enhance the inherent value of those structures, preserve them for future generations of Iranian citizens, and ensure their ongoing interest to tourists.

Long a city of beauty and culture, Bam produced famous artists whose work will remain immortal. Dariush Rafiee, who was Lotfali Rafiee’s representative of Bam in the national congress, was born in Bam in 1928. After completing his primary education, Rafiee left that city to study music in Tehran. Other artists of note include Rouhangiz (Sedigheh) Saminzhad, who was the first actress in the first talking Persian movie, Dokhtare Lor ya irane druz va emruz (1933). Saminzhad was born in Bam and died in Tehran in 1996 at the age of 81 years. Iraj Bastami, the Iranian traditional singer, was born in 1958 in the city of Bam. In 2003, he died there in the earthquake. Other artists who were born in or influenced by the culture of Bam include Behzadpour Mehdi (Behzad), Kooros Sarhangzadeh, Emad Ram, and Pouri Banaei.

The Earthquake of 2003: Effects on A Resilient People

Before the earthquake and during the reconstruction that followed that event, Bam was one of the most attractive cities for tourists in Iran. Although that city has remained a relatively small town, perhaps if Esfandyar had overcome Rostam, then Bahman would have had a more effective role in the development of Bam. Perhaps if Ardashir had overcome Haftvad or if Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar had not attacked Bam, then that city would have been an even greater hub of commerce. Perhaps if the Lut Desert had a fertile environment or had remained part of the ocean, then instead of a single agricultural industry (Mazafati dates), the Bam economy would be based today on multiple agricultural products and industries. Despite those factors, it is important to note that drought did not affect the development of Bam. It is also important to realize that if the people of Bam had long considered the many local historic events as part of their history and had preserved for future generations the ancient relics discovered there, then the social conditions and welfare of current citizens would be better. For example, if all the adult residents of Bam had known before the earthquake of 2003 that 11 earthquakes ranging from 4.5 to 5.7 on the Richter scale had occurred between 1950 and 1970 and had destroyed portions of the Bam Citadel, they might have been more concerned about protecting that site and might have more willingly participated in the reconstruction of the postquake devastation.

Bam’s development is just a small part of the history of Iran. Perhaps if Iran had not been so affected by the repeated destruction of its culture and history, it would be more developed today. For example, if the Safavi, Quajar, or Pahlavi rulers had preserved their ancient monuments, then the current government of Iran would do likewise. Because that has not occurred, remnants of ancient Iranian civilizations (Baluchestan, the 7000-year-old Burnt City in Sistan, the Citadel of Bam, the abd Jiroft area dating from the Bronze age) have been greatly reduced in number. Half of the 700 qanats that existed in the time of Seljuk have been demolished, and the former strategic center in politics (the administrative and economic pole) in southeast Iran was reduced to rubble after the earthquake of 2003. However, the demolition of the 2500-year-old Citadel of Bam and the additional horrific destruction caused by the earthquake of 2003 drew worldwide attention to the quake victims there and to subsequent reconstruction.

Most modern cultures try to preserve their history. Thus the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) classified not only the ancient Citadel of Bam but also the garden city of Bam and all its qanats as being a world heritage at risk. The ancient city of Bam grows more precious over time, and the citizens of that city should protect their history. Perhaps earthquakes and natural disasters slow the growth of a civilization, but they cannot cause it to die. Now it is the duty of the people of Bam to advance in a new direction without social or religious restrictions.

To be continued . . . .

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