Ancient Citadel of Bam, Iran

Credit: Image courtesy Space Imaging, Posted on: Tuesday, 6 January 2004, 06:00 CST Download full size image

This one-meter resolution satellite image of Bam, Iran was taken by Space Imaging’s IKONOS satellite on Dec. 27, 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 this 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 is on the register of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and has been a World Heritage site. Bam is located about 1,000 km (620 miles) southeast of Tehran.

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