We reached Akbar Guest House in Bam around 1300. It was like a little oasis within their compound. We bought some snacks in place of lunch.
It was a social place at the guesthouse. We chatted to Daniel, a Swedish ex-military guy who raves about Sydney and Australia, having been there for the Olympics in 2000.
After a rest till 1600 when it was cooler, we shared a ride with a French couple to the old mud-brick citadel of Arg-e Bam. It’s the largest mud-brick or adobe building in the world. While there had been buildings here since about 600BC, the place flourished in the 1500-1700s, so possibly most of the design, layout and expanse was from that era.
Panorama inside Arg-e Bam.
Of course, successive earthquakes, wear and tear resulted in plenty of restoration to keep it in the shape that we are able to admire today. As we walked around the alleyways of the large expanse, we could see exposed mud bricks and the plaster of straw and mud. Some had been eroded to expose the bricks while others had been restored awaiting plastering.
Panorama inside Arg-e Bam.
We explored the different levels but returned to the teahouse above the citadel gate for tea and date cookies. We returned to Akbar guesthouse around 1700 as the sun was getting low. It had been a great afternoon of exploration and chats with the French couple.
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- Inside Arg-e Bam.
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- Teahouse at Arg-e Bam.
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- Panorama inside Arg-e Bam.
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- Arg-e Bam is the largest mud-brick building in the world.
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- Panorama from Arg-e Bam.
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- Panorama inside Arg-e Bam.
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[Edit: Seven months after our visit Bam was struck by an earthquake of 6.6 Richter. The damage levelled 70% of the buildings. Wikipedia suggests that structures that had been maintained and repeatedly modified or expanded over time fared much worse than the ancient structures that had not been maintained, modified, or restored.]
We had dinner around 2030 at the guesthouse. It was simpler than last night, consisting of potato and brinjal curry, marinated cucumber and tomato, rice and bread.
We had more chats with the other guests and looked through the traveller’s or guestbook. Most remarkable were the Korean (and Japanese) girls that have travelled solo through Afghanistan and Pakistan. They write plenty of tips in the guestbook for their fellow countrymen/women who may be in Bam heading in the opposite direction.
It was our latest night ever on this trip, retiring after 2300.