Quake razes one of jewels of Iranian heritage

Virtually levelled in Friday's devastating earthquake, the historic heart of Bam was one of the wonders of Iran's cultural heritage, boasting a 2,000-year-old citadel that was the largest mud-brick structure in the world.

Built entirely of mud bricks, clay, straw and the trunks of palm trees, the city's old quarter dates back to pre-Islamic times, although most of the monuments were from Iran's modern heyday under the Safavid rulers of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Then, the city occupied six square kilometres, was surrounded by a rampart with 38 towers, and had a population of between 9,000 and 13,000.

The five-storey citadel, constructed entirely from unbaked bricks, had undergone frequent repairs over the years but traced its origins back to the Parthian era around the time of Christ.

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=20946&NewsKind=Culture

I know. I found a website yesterday of gorgeous photographs of the city... I'll see if I can find it again. It was beautiful. It's almost all gone now. The citadel has collapsed. A real loss not just in human costs, but in historical terms.

Here's the link:

http://activistchat.com/gallery/alargebam/argebam1

A loss to future generations of Iranians.

L-

Which says it was built strong. That must have been some quake.

it was a 6.3 to 6.5 quake: the kind we shrug off here in California all the time.

The problem is old, clay buildings don't withstand earthquakes well.

the citadel
http://www.internetacademy.co.jp/~yesaki/bam/htm/bam06.htm