TEHRAN – Iran is planning on developing a dossier for its “Martian Mountains”, commonly known as “Miniature Mountains”, for a possible inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

“We are completing a dossier for Miniature Mountains, which are situated near Chabahar [in southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province] with the aim of registering it in the UNESCO World Heritage list,” Mehr quoted Alireza Jalalzaei, the provincial tourism chief, as saying on Saturday.

Mars or Martian Mountains, also known as “Koohaye Merikhi” in Persian, are a type of badlands stretched out parallel to the Gulf of Oman. Their current shape results from millions of years of erosion by wind and water. The height of the mountains varies between five to over 100 meters.

Locals named them Martian Mountains, since it seemed as if aliens – in this case people from Mars – built them; with almost no vegetation, their curvy scenery stand in strong contrast with the landscape around.

For decades, Sistan-Baluchestan used to be shunned by potential foreign travelers though it is home to several distinctive archaeological sites and natural attractions, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites of Shahr-e-Soukhteh (Burnt City) and Lut Desert, shared with Kerman Province.

AFM/MG