Clay city Bam

About 200 km south-east of Kerman we reach the city of Bam. The Bam oasis is surrounded by desert and steppe. Around 2400 to 2600 years have passed since Bam was founded. The city was built by the Sassanids, the New Persian Empire. The Arabs conquered the mud city around 642 AD and the first mosque was built around 650 AD. The mud city of Bam, which can still be visited today, dates from the 16th to 18th centuries.

December 2003:
A violent earthquake shakes Bam. About 70% of the new town was destroyed and around 43,000 people died. Another 30,000 were injured.
The USA and other Western countriessent search parties and 1.1 billion dollars in aid.

July 2004:
Another strong earthquake . This earthquake also destroyed prefabricated houses that had been built for survivors of the December 2003 quake.

March 2007:
In an unexpected sandstorm with a speed of 130 km/h, 3 children suffocated. 2 people were killed in traffic accidents and 14 others were injured.

Despite all the disasters that have befallen Bam, the citadel is well worth a visit. We are thrilled. Apparently, the generous donations are being put to good use, as the mud-brick complex looks very neat and tidy to us and work on the castle continues apace. We can only marvel at what and how artistically clay can be worked with.

Sistan and Baluchistan

From Bam onwards, we mostly travel through desert-like areas, “hopping” from oasis to oasis. The deep green of the palm oases is good for the eyes and the soul. And for us, palm trees are the epitome of vacation romance.
We then cross barren mountain ranges that only allow some greenery in the wadis.
Precisely because of the mountains, we can’t find a pleasant pitch for the night and it gets dark early. During the night, Iranians drive without lights. Instead of being permanently on, they flash their headlights wildly and nervously when another vehicle comes towards them – and that dazzles them. As it is already dark, we spend the night at the first best gas station.

The journey through Sistan and Balochistan is one of the most beautiful for us. Less traffic and impressive landscapes are what make this three-day trip to Chahbahar so appealing.

Chahbahar

Chahbahar on the Gulf of Oman is an up-and-coming city. Iran is building a new overseas port here, as Chahbahar is directly accessible from the Indian Ocean. An elaborate railroad line will also soon be ready for operation.

We arrive in Chahbahar on December 22, 2023. Here we are at the run-down “Tis-Resort”, where we can once again do laundry and fill up with water. We also enjoy the wonderfully warm temperatures here by the sea.

Martian mountains

On December 24, we head east to the Martian Mountains and spend Christmas by the sea in beautiful weather and glorious temperatures. That’s how we imagined it. What we didn’t imagine was that Vreni would get the flu and we wouldn’t be able to do all the sightseeing. Nevertheless, the trip here was more than worth it and we can only recommend the Martian Mountains to landscape lovers.

Port of Beris

The fishing port of Beris is not far from the Pakistani border. It is known for its large fishing fleet.
Many old and newer dhows are anchored here.
Dhows are a type of sailing ship found in all countries bordering the Indian Ocean, built in the Arab tradition. They remind us of pirate stories and exude their own Arabian charm.

Bio-luminescence

And we were able to see the“sea lights” on several evenings. What a present for Christmas. Instead of a glittering Christmas tree, the sea glows an indescribable blue.
It is caused by the Water glowing tiny microorganisms and a very specific type of phytoplankton. Taking photos, on the other hand, turns out to be difficult. Autofocus no longer works in this darkness. Focusing manually is also difficult, as my lenses do not show a distance indication. Nevertheless – I am grateful to be able to show at least three imperfect shots.

We have reached the south-easternmost point of our journey through Iran.
From here, the route continues in a north-westerly direction to the border with Iraq. But more on this in the next article.