Dašt-e Lut

The Lut is a great desert basin in southeastern Iran, enclosed by mountains and exposed to intense heat. On its western side, persistent winds have carved enormous ridges called kaluts from the ground, leaving long corridors between them. Stony plains and salt-crusted depressions add to the stark variety of the desert. The oasis of Shahdad lies near its western margin, where the inhabited country gives way to the dry interior.