Home > Notebook > Bam Is Not Shaking Anymore

Five years after the earthquake Bam is a huge construction site. But if I did not know what happened there I probably would not suspect a thing. Only the missing pavenments would be very strange for Iran. Water ditches along the roads are already in place, however. When everything gets fixed Bam is going to be very nice town. There will be no monuments as even the famouse citadel has crumbled but streets are wide and lined with trees, green and date palms everywhere.

People were friendly, passers-by on the street very thanking me for visiting Bam in spite the citadel is no more. The earthquake reduced it to pile of rocks. But you can still see how huge it used to be. And to be honest, most ruined castles in Europe are way more ruined. To go inside you don't have to pay any entrance fee. It is all under scaffolding and reconstruction is in progress. Parts are repaired already and look brand new, as if built yesterday. Which is not far from truth.

All travellers passing through Bam stay at Akbar's guesthouse. It's just few construction site sheds in the garden. Next to construction site of a proper guesthouse. The original one fell down when the quake hit. It does not look far from finishing, just to fit windows and doors, electricity, put plaster on the bricks and move in furniture. When asked, Akbar says he does not know when it will be ready. Depends on money. But one part should be finished in two or three months.

And I met there a Australian girl who bought trumpet in Lahore, very androgynous looking Swede (male) and two Koreans who where running around with a measure preparing art installation and recording everything.