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Over 90 precent of Arg Citadel demolished

IRNA

Tehran, Dec 27, IRNA -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific 
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced here on Saturday that 
it will assign a delegation of specialists to inspect Bam Citadel and 
assess the extent of damage inflicted on the historical monument. 
According to foreign news agencies, a cultural heritage expert 
from the Paris-based UNESCO office, Monir Bouchkani, declared that 
he organization has sent a letter in this respect to President 
Mohammad Khatami. 
"We would do our best to send our most experienced specialist to 
the quake-hit area to inspect the demolished Bam Citadel and survey 
the prospect of its reconstruction," she added. 
The 2,500-year-old citadel located on top of a giant rock to the 
northeast of the ancient city of Bam has been greatly damaged by the 
Friday 6.7-Richter earthquake and turned into a rubble. 
According to her, the collapsed citadel is of the world-famous 
mud-break monuments which is 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). 
The citadel looking like a gigantic sand castle was one of the 
major attraction for film buffs and tourist. 
Besides the country offered many exotic landscapes for the 
Western eye and a number of films were to be shot on location such 
as Aghata Chrisite`s `The Ten Little Indians`. However, the victory 
of the 1979 Islamic Revolution put an abrupt end to other major 
European or American co-productions. 
According to the latest report, over 90 percent of the citadel 
comprising several entrances, a public gathering site, the rulers 
residence, two gates, a stable, a garrison and an dministration center
have so far been destroyed. 
MP/212 
End