Bampur

For the administrative subdivision, see Bampur County.
Bampur
بمپور
city
Bampur
Coordinates: 27°11′40″N 60°27′21″E / 27.19444°N 60.45583°ECoordinates: 27°11′40″N 60°27′21″E / 27.19444°N 60.45583°E
Country  Iran
Province Sistan and Baluchestan
County Bampur
Bakhsh Central
Population (2006)
 • Total 9,073
Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30)
 • Summer (DST) IRDT (UTC+4:30)

Bampur (Persian: بمپور‎, also Romanized as Bampūr and Bampoor)[1] is a city in and capital of Bampur County, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 9,073, in 1,664 families.[2]

It is located 330 miles (530 km) south-east of Kerman at an elevation of 1,720 feet (520 m) In 1911 its population was about 2,000 and it was the capital of the province. It is situated on the banks of the Bampur river which flows from east to west and empties itself about 70 miles (110 km) west into a hamun, or depression, 50 miles (80 km) in length, and called Jaz Murian.[3]

The old citadel of Bampur, on a hill about 100 feet (30 m) high 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the river, fell into ruins. A new fort called Kalah Nasseri, was built at Pahrah, which is known as Iranshahr, 15 miles (24 km) further east, in the 1880s.[3]

Fahraj, which in 1911 had a population of about 2,500, has become more important than Bampur. Fahraj, which is also known as Pahura (or Paharu or Puhra), is by some identified as the Poura where Alexander the Great halted on his march from the Indus region of Pakistan.[4]

The majority of the population are ethnic Baloch, who speak the Balochi language. Pashtun tribes are also present in the city, including the influential Barakzai who have adopted Balochi language.

Notes

  1. ↑ Bampur can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3055057" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
  2. ↑ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006)" (Excel). Islamic Republic of Iran. Archived from the original on 2011-11-11.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bampūr". Encyclopædia Britannica 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  4. ↑ Others are more in favour of another Fahraj near Bam, or even of Bampūr itself as the halting place of Alexander the Great (Chisholm 1911).