Ṭabas al-Tamr Corridor

The desert west of Tabas stretches toward the fortified station of Ribat Ab-e Ushturan. Medieval accounts describe a succession of stages on the road through this dry country, where cisterns helped travellers cross the wastes. At the eastern end stood Tabas al-Tamr, the oasis town called the gate of Khorasan, whose palm groves offered a striking contrast to the barren ground around it.