TEHRAN –A clean-up project has recently been completed on Shahdad, part of the UNESCO-registered Lut desert, a local tourism official has announced. 

The project was carried out in collaboration with some eco-lodge owners nearby on the occasion of National Tourism Week (September 27-October 4), Hojjat Ebrahimizadeh said on Saturday. 

The project involved cleaning and collecting garbage left by some tourists in this area, the official added. 

Shahdad Desert receives a large number of tourists each year, making it imperative to adhere to hygienic principles so they can continue to enjoy its beautiful nature, he noted. 

Tourists are hence advised to collect their garbage from the region before they leave, he explained. 

Situated in southeastern Kerman province, Shahdad is home to shifting sands, salt plains, meteorite fields, and rocky terrain, which offers visitors breathtaking vistas and unparalleled serenity of the intact nature and wilderness.

It has long been a destination for adventurers, nature lovers, off-roaders, and trekkers.

The Lut Desert, widely referred to as Dasht-e Lut (“Emptiness Plain”), is a large salt desert encircled by the provinces of Kerman and Sistan- Baluchestan, and South Khorasan. It is the world’s 27th-largest desert and was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List on July 17, 2016.

Seven years of satellite temperature data analyzed by NASA show that the Lut Desert is the hottest spot on Earth. Based on the research, it was the hottest during 5 of the 7 years and had the highest temperature overall: 70.7°C in 2005.

The desert is also considered one of the top areas in the world for finding meteorites, thanks to its unique parameters. In recent years, significant finds have been made, with the efforts of national and international teams of researchers.

ABU/AFM