Lut Desert

Low in beautiful landscapes, Lut Desert is the exception that proves the rule in Iran. It is known like the hottest place in the world, but frankly speaking, it was nice when i've been there (november 2016). This desert is awesome and rare, it is not an erg or reg, it is a blend of earth and dust. Very special but incredible. The must-see is the light during the sunset, so enjoyable.

In France, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises us where we can go and where we should not go thanks to a scale of values: in particular a map with colours, green when it's ok, red when it's not (yellow and orange between green and red). I guess it's more or less similar in other countries (western countries at least). Today, Iran is totally in red for political reasons (especially today it's understandable because of protests and the death of Mahsa Amini, but it was not so obvious before). It was not the case in november of 2016, but Lut Desert and almost all the borders of Iran were coloured in red. The invoked reason was mainly presence of anti-personnel mines. As you can't go there alone, this reason seemed not so relevant to me, i wouldn't say the same in case of wars or dangerous diseases (Ebola for example). So I've been there and i don't regret it.

If my memory is good, I was in Kerman and my friends and me took a taxi …

Just visited - May 2010. Main question about this place is the limits of inscribed site. Dispite relatively huge area the place is not protected as a National Park or reserve, it is just a dessert. But while studying the official map on UNESCO website I am pretty sure that Nebkas area (just outside Shahdad) and Kaluts (some 40 km from Shahdad) are part of World Heritage.

In fact on the right side of the road Kerman - Zabol, just outside Shahdad (around one km from the town) there is a small brown sign - Nominated Area, probably marking the limits of Lut Desert as a World Heritage Site. That should include Nebkas area as well. Further on, while you enter Kaluts, there is just a small sign although the road just crosses sandstone castles.

Some practicalities: I read there is a public transport to Shahdad (but not to Kaluts) but the most convenient way is to rent a car (taxi) which I did. I took a car from Mahan to Shahdad than to Kaluts and return to Kerman for 1.200.000 Rial (including waiting time in the Kaluts area). It may take half to full day depending on the time you want to spend in Kaluts. I am pretty sure that similar can be organised from Kerman.

Take plenty of water with you as it is the hottest place on earth, and something to cover a head. In fact descend from mountains to Shahdad was like going …

Two problems with trying to get “ahead of the game” by visiting T List sites before they are inscribed are that they might fail and also that any inscribed boundaries are as yet unknown/undetermined!! Iran has titled this site “Lut Desert (Vicinity of Shahdad)” and nominated it for consideration in 2016. Well, as the desert itself is 5400 km2 in area and is the 25th largest desert in the World (Wiki), I suppose we had to be thankful that we had been given some sort of starting point!!

Shahdad lies around 95kms NE of Kerman and the entire trip by car into the Lut and back from Kerman took best part of an afternoon after seeing the fine Sufi shrine at nearby Mahan. The road was far better than I had expected from my map and it even cut through the mountains north of Kerman in a long tunnel before dropping down, down into the Lut at Shahdad. From there it wends its way for another c500kms across the desert to the town of Zabol on the Afghan border. Beyond Shahdad, ours was the only car but the well surfaced road carried a steady stream of lorries. I tried to forget that Shahr-i-Sokhtar was only 50kms south of Zabol - just a day’s journey away. But, “there lies madness” when chasing WHS - there will always be another just beyond the planned route!

Among the 4 “world records” claimed for Lut by Iran in its T List introduction is one …