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Bam, Iran About 200 kms southeast of Kerman in the middle of the desert lies a citadel (Arg-e Bam to contemporary Iranians). Founded in ancient times, it was an important outpost on the Silk Road from the Sassanid era (224-636) to the Safavid era (1501-1722). But another reason for people to come to Bam was its Zoroastrian fire temple, which we can only imagine (it was destroyed by the Muslims, who built a mosque on its site). The city was abandoned after the Afghan invasion of 1722 that terminated the Safavid dynasty. At its peak the citadel was probably the largest structure made of mud bricks in the world. Restoration only began in 1953. When i visited it (at the peak of the USA-Iran confrontation, there was not a single soul in town. The only sound was the wind. I have never felt so alone inside a city.

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