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News ID: 27085
Publish Date : 27 May 2016 - 18:10

Bam Citadel to Open to Public After 13 Years

KERMAN (MNA) – The world’s largest adobe building has only recently been finding its past glory after reconstruction of its most beautiful part which is planned to be opened to interested public.
Built around 500 BC, Bam Citadel was hit by the earthquake which equally devastated City of Bam in the desert province of Kerman. The quake demolished 90 per cent of this invaluable architectural monument, but the revival attempts, having started almost immediately after the quake, addressed the rebuilding of the citadel through a combination of traditional and modern methods of reconstructing an ancient building. The initial efforts sought to restore the strength to the castle and save its historical identity and hue as well.
In the process of construction, different academicians and experts participated in a multinational workshop to erect the citadel anew; now, after so many years, the citadel is yet to find its past glory. The testimony to this is the flow of large groups of tourists on daily basis who come to Bam only to behold the gem of the orient. The estimations show that 99 per cent of the historical citadel has been restored to its former structure, with efforts still underway in other parts.
Afshin Ebrahimi, head of Bam International Heritage, an NGO to register the citadel in UNESCO World Heritage List, told Mehr News local correspondent on Wednesday that the restoration work would give the public access to seat and office of the Governor (hakim neshin) and the first porch of the Citadel. He was satisfied with the process of construction; "the reconstruction turned the Citadel to one of the largest architectural workshops ever to restore historical monument and the embodiment of a national solidarity and collaboration to restore a monument of a long-gone civilization,” he told Mehr News. "We predict to have swarm of tourists rushing to the Citadel by the opening of the seat of the Governor by next New Year’s Eve (21 March 2017); however, to see that future as a reality, we need much-required resources to invigorate the construction process and instill some hope to the body of the ancient giant building.”