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This one-meter resolution satellite image of Bam, Iran was taken by Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite on 27 December 2003, just one day after a catastrophic earthquake struck the historic city. The image shows widespread destruction as a result of the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that leveled 70 percent of the buildings according to news reports. Clearly seen in the center of the image is the 2,000-year-old citadel, considered the world's largest mud fortress. According to news reports, much of the medieval fortress crumbled like a sand castle when the quake hit. The citadel was a popular tourist attraction and was on the register of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and has been a World Heritage site.

The 2,500-year-old citadel located on top of a giant rock to the northeast of the ancient city of Bam was greatly damaged by the 6.7-Richter earthquake and turned into a rubble. The collapsed citadel was one of the world-famous mud-break monuments, and was listed by the UN as a major historical building and a global symbol. The UN started drawing up a list of the significant ancient monuments in 1978 with the objective to protect them. Meanwhile, "The Tartar Steppe," Valerio Zurlini's epic nightmare and a screen adaptation of Dino Buzzati's novel was shot in Bam Citadel by Darius Dadivar some 27 years ago. The movie was made in 1976 with an exceptional cast of actors including Jacques Perrin, in the leading role. Vittorio Gassman, Giuliano Gemma, Phillipe Noiret, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Max von Sydow, Laurent Terzieff, Fernando Rey and Francisco Rabal. The Italian painting by Giorgio de Chirico, "La Torre Rossa" mainly convinced the Italian filmmaker to shoot the film on location at the famous Fortress of Bam, 200 kms south of Kerman.

The ancient city of Arg-e-bam is made entirely of mud bricks, clay, straw and trunks of palm trees. The seriously-harmed 20-hectare citadel originally founded under the rule of Sassanids (224-637 AD) was a complex consisting of four interconnected fortifications with 48 watchtowers. Some of its structures dated back to pre-12th-century period mostly built during the Safavid period (1502-1722).