Experts who are painstakingly rebuilding the Bam citadel after an earthquake destroyed it a decade ago say Iran’s architectural masterpiece will never return to its past glory but are hopeful they will restore some of it. A thousand kilometres (600 miles) southeast of Tehran, the pre-Islamic desert citadel was the largest adobe monument in the world made of non-baked clay bricks. But it was reduced to rubble on December 26, 2003, when it was hit by a major quake that killed 26,000-32,000 people, according to various estimates.

Read More: Iran Citadel Restored After Quake Will Never Regain Past Glory