Bam
[key], town, Kerman prov., SE Iran, on the intermittent Bam River. Located
on the western edge of the Dasht-e Lut, Bam is a trade center in a
henna-growing region. Dates and other fruits are also grown; camels are
raised. Its historic fortress, established 2,000 years ago, is one of the
world's largest mud-brick buildings. Other noted buildings date from the
Safavid period (1499–1736). Bam declined after the Afghans invaded in
1722, and from 1890 to 1932 was
a military garrison, but has been restored since. Much
of the town, including its historic monuments, was devastated by an
earthquake in Dec., 2003; more than
26,000
people died.
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