Lut Desert

Lut desert is located in the southeast of Iran. The title of the most pristine spot in Iran has been given to Lut Desert. “Lut” in Balochi language means naked, thirsty and empty of everything.

  The major part of this great desert is sand.

  The time of formation of most deserts goes back to the third geological period, which were ancient lakes, and now the salt left over from their evaporation in the past prevents the growth of any plant in these areas. For this reason, geologists refer to the vast region of southeastern Iran as Lut Desert.

The vast area of Lut desert includes parts of the three vast provinces of Sistan and Baluchistan, South Khorasan and Kerman and extends from north to south. About 70% of this vast desert is in Kerman province and 30% is in South Khorasan and Sistan and Baluchistan provinces. Is located.

  The average length of Lut desert is estimated to be 900 km from north to south and 300 km from west to east. Due to the vastness of Lut desert, different regions with different climates and geographical features have been created in it.

Different parts of Lut desert

North Lut desert

In Northern Lut, there are many sedimentary and volcanic mountains and hills that have caused numerous earthquakes in this region.

The northernmost area of Lut desert, most of which is within the boundaries of South Khorasan and Birjand provinces, is considered a vast area whose height reaches 1000 meters in the northernmost parts and decreases to 500 meters as it moves towards the south.

Central lut

  Central Lut with 162 km length and 52 km width is known as “Chale Lut”. Central Lut is the most different part of the Lut desert, which is covered with huge masses of sand.There are scattered salt and chalk deserts in the central Lut.

South Lot

The southernmost region of Lut desert includes a major part of Kerman province and northern Sistan and Baluchistan. This region is more fertile than other parts in terms of vegetation and remains of ancient civilizations. It is divided into three parts in terms of geology:

Dasht-Sar

This area is known as Hamada and it is full of big and small stones that are artistically placed together. That’s why Dasht Sar is also called Sangfarsh desert. Wind erosion, severe temperature changes and erosion by running water are the reasons for the existence of such an area that has no vegetation.

Kaluts

 Kalut is a local name that refers to deep ditches and huge sand pyramids that have emerged as a result of soil erosion. Lut Desert Kalut are located in an area of ​​80 km wide and 145 km long and are considered a unique phenomenon in the world. The reason for the existence of these Kalut is the erosion by the Shore River and the 120-day winds of Sistan, which have created the most spectacular attraction of Lut.

Sand dunes

 an area of ​​50 thousand hectares is covered with sand dunes. The height of some of these crescent-shaped hills reaches 500 meters.

Gandom Beriyan

Gandom beriyan on the west of the Lut, there are hills covered with stones and black volcanic lava, which has an area of ​​480 square kilometers. This area is devoid of life in the summer season, the air temperature is more than 71 degrees Celsius, and no living thing survives. The black covering of the area causes the air temperature to rise sharply. Being at a low altitude (400 meters above sea level) has also been declared as one of the reasons for the extreme heat in this area.

temperature

According to reports, in 2005, the infrared radiometer of NASA’s “Ecoai” satellite measured the temperature of the central areas of Lut desert at 70.7 degrees Celsius.

Vegetation and fauna of Lut desert

 In the central parts of Lut desert, there is no special plant and animal life; But in some days of the year when the weather conditions are more favorable, temporary life is observed. In the spring season in Dasht Sar region, after limited seasonal rains, grass plants grow and dry in a short time.

There are many species of plants in the Rig yalan area, including Calligonum and Haloxylon. The density of this vegetation is much higher in East Lut. In 20 km of Shahdad area, you can also see Tamarisk bushes. One of the amazing and unique phenomena of Lut desert are the sand pots (Nabkha). With a height of 10 meters, these Nabkhas are the tallest in the world, and they are surrounded by Tamarisk bushes. The tallest Nabkha in the African Sahara is only three meters high.

Animals that are resistant to dehydration live in Lut desert. These animals include all kinds of snakes and carrion-eating birds, Jaculus, foxes and Sand cats, and all kinds of Agamas.

  About 70 species of birds with white color have also been seen in Lut desert. The reason for their white color is less heat absorption. The water needed by the bird is also provided by eating insects or dew that is formed due to the temperature difference between day and night.

Lut desert at night

The temperature difference between night and day in the Lut desert is noticeable due to the lack of vegetation. Plants have a significant impact on the weather. Since no photosynthesis occurs in the desert, the temperature drops a lot. The heat of the day in the desert is not absorbed due to the lack of insulation of the sand to maintain the temperature and store the heat; Therefore, desert nights are very cold. There is a significant difference between Lut and other desert regions of the world, which is the 120-day winds of Sistan during the summer season, which makes the air temperature not increase during the day and not decrease at night. In fact, these winds play the role of regulating the temperature of Lut desert.

Secrets of the Lut Desert

Lut desert is considered the most inaccessible desert in the world. Shahdad’s Kalut are full of secrets. Some people believe that this is the cursed city of the “Lot people” who were turned into stone, and this is the reason why it was named the desert of Lut.

 The Kaluts are full of unknowns and there are still parts where no human has been. However, in the marginal areas of Lut and Shahdad deserts, artifacts such as pottery and stone vessels from ancient civilizations dating back to 3000 BC have been discovered.

 Parts of the central desert are so burning that even bacteria cannot live, but in an area called “Zangi Ahmad”, where there is no trace of water or life, there are traces of a dilapidated wooden tower surrounded by broken pottery and colored glass. has been

 In recent years, a fossil of a dinosaur’s nail has been discovered in Lut desert, which needs a more detailed investigation.

desert lake

One of the wonders of the Lut desert is the presence of running water, especially in the marginal areas of the desert. The dried riverbeds indicate ancient and abundant rivers in the past. These rivers flow a little during seasonal rains.

Shahdad’s Kaluts

Shahdad Kaluts has an area of 11,000 square kilometers and is a mysterious, unknown and frightening area; Because there are few signs of life in this area. The ancient city of Shahdad is considered to be the center of government of “Arata” tribes in ancient Iran. This is the place of discovery of the oldest metal flag in the world, which is called “Shahdad Flag”.

Shahdad’s Kaluts date back to 20,000 years ago.

The night sky of the desert is a paradise for astronomers, photographers and researchers due to the pristine nature of Lut compared to other deserts of Iran.

Lut desert has so many unique and different attractions that it arouses the interest of tourists. In addition to watching the legendary Kaluts, various side entertainments are also provided for tourists such as off-roading, camel riding, walking and photography.

Lut desert have been registered in the world list of UNESCO and by joining the UNESCO tours organized by Oak Travel agency, visit these special and spectacular desert.