Dasht-e Lut: inside one of the hottest places on Earth
Wind-carved ridges, vast dune fields and record surface temperatures make the Lut Desert one of Iran’s natural wonders.
The Lut Desert (Dasht-e Lut) in south-eastern Iran was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016 — the first natural site in Iran to receive that status.
Shaped by the wind
The desert is known for its kaluts: long, towering ridges of sediment sculpted by powerful winds. To the east lie some of the largest dune fields on the planet.
A place of extremes
Satellite measurements have recorded some of the highest land-surface temperatures on Earth here, making the Lut a site of interest for scientists as well as travellers.
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