Bampūr

Bampur lies on the Bampur River in Iranian Baluchistan, where the river crosses dry plains before draining into the Jaz Murian depression. The town occupies an old route junction southeast of Kerman, with access to water in an otherwise arid region. An ancient citadel stood north of the river, and successive settlements clustered around its strategic position.

Archaeological excavations have identified six occupation phases at Bampur, with pottery and other finds connecting it to the Helmand culture of western Afghanistan and the Jiroft culture of eastern Iran. Those links show that routes across the Iranian plateau and Makran were active long before written histories described the region. Copper, stone and agricultural goods probably moved through the river oasis.

During the medieval period, Baluch tribes, Persian governors and local rulers competed for the province. Shah Mihrab Khan of the Rakshani Baluch waged campaigns through the region, and Bampur long served as a district centre. The old hill fortress fell into ruin, but the town remained a stage between Kerman, Sistan and the coast.