Shahdad Desert, on the western edge of Lut Desert, is home to unique natural structures called kalut (sand castles) by locals. The area is regarded as an archeological site of Kerman Province with graveyards, forts, and caravanserais which date back to the fourth millennium B.C.

The Lut Desert is a large salt desert located in the provinces of Kerman and Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran. It was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2016. The hottest part of Dasht-e Lut is Gandom Beryan, an approximately 480km² (190 sq mi) large plateau covered in dark lava, 80 km north of Shahdad city. According to a local legend, Gandom Beryan (toasted wheat) originates from an accident where a load of wheat was left in the desert which was then scorched by the heat in a few days. The surface of its sand has been measured at temperatures as high as 70 °C (159 °F), making it one of the world’s driest and hottest places.

Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit Omid Shekari (Shokri), MEHR Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit irandeserts.com Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit BORNA Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit Mahdi Kalhor, wikimedia.org Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit yeowatzup, wikimedia.org Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit yeowatzup, wikimedia.org Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit Victoria Rogotneva, 500px.com through untoldiran.com Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit Ana Olga, 500px.com through untoldiran.com Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit RainMaker Tran, 500px.com Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit surfiran.com Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit Mahdi Kalhor, wikimedia.org Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit BORNA Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit Miron448, panoramio.com Western Lut Desert, Kerman Province, Iran – Photo credit Reza Eqbali, irantravelingcenter.com

These impressive formations which are scattered over 11.000km² across the desert are called yardangs. They form by erosion in environments where water is scarce and the prevailing winds are strong, uni-directional, and carry an abrasive sediment load.

Sources: Wikipedia | Lut Desert, Wikipedia | Yardang, Iran Front Page, BORNA News, wikimedia.org, irandeserts.com (in Persian), untoldiran.com, Mehr News Agency, 500px.com, panoramio.com