In the heart of the desert in Kerman Province, the land rises in the form of mudbricks as a fortified settlement of at least a thousand years. Originating in the 6th to 4th centuries BC, the Citadel of Bam flourished through the ages as it was located on the crossroads of important trade routes connecting the East to the West and the North to the South. The citadel was considered as one of the biggest mudbrick structures in the world, which was seriously damaged in the earthquake of 2003 and restored recently. UNESCO World Heritage List inscribed the site in 2004.