Mars or Martian Mountains, also known as Koohaye Merikhi in Persian, are a type of badlands stretched out parallel to the Gulf of Oman from Kacho Village (35km east of Chabahar) to Gwatar. They are the result of millions of years of erosion and are considered to be a symbol of the unique geo-morphological phenomena of Chabahar.

Locals named them Martian Mountains, since it seemed as if aliens – in this case people from Mars – built them; with almost no vegetation and its torn and very sharp cutted forms, they stand in strong contrast with the landscape around.

Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: explorepersia.com Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: mehrnews.com Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: farsnews.com Photo credit: mehrnews.com Photo credit: dw.de Photo credit: irandeserts.com

Chabahar is Iran’s southernmost city, situated on the Makran Coast of the Sistan and Baluchestan Province, it is also a free trade zone on the coast of the Gulf of Oman.

In Persian char means four and bahar means Spring. Hence, the city was named as the place where all four seasons are Spring. The majority of the city’s inhabitants are ethnic Baluch who speak the Baluchi language. At the 2006 census, its population was 71,070 inhabitants.

Sources: Wikipedia | Chabahar, Fars News | Photos (Apr. 2014), Fars News | Photos (Feb. 2014). In Persian: irandeserts.com, Mehr | News, and Deutsche Welle.