Reported by: Faezeh Azizi
Mesr Desert is one of the most picturesque deserts of Iran located 420 kilometers away from the city of Isfahan, and 55 kilometers away from the Khur region, and of the most popular desert destinations among travelers and desert lovers. This amazing desert is surrounded by mountains from the west, southwest, and southeast which are parts of the Central Mountain Range of Iran. If you are going to visit the Mesr Desert from Tehran, it would be a 9-10 hour trip (642 kilometers).
About 100 years ago, a man named Yousef (Josef) lived in this desert with his family. He was busy with animal husbandry and he dug a very deep water well to provide water for the people of his village and for their herd. The locals of this village called the village Chah Dera (meaning: The Deep Well), but after a while, Yousef suggested that because of the connection between his name with Josef the Prophet and the story of the well, they call their village Mesr (meaning Egypt in Persian). This village is known for its cozy and small houses with mud walls and domed ceilings, and its hospitable busy with animal husbandry and also hosting travelers at their village houses and eco-lodges in recent years.
As a result of low humidity and lack of light pollution, the Mesr Desert is a perfect place for stargazing and astrology, especially during the nights when the moon rises very late at night. Apart from stargazing and enjoying the million-star night sky, the view of the sky during sunlight and sunset is also a memorable experience in the Mesr Desert.
The Khur Salt Lake is the largest seasonal salt lake in Iran that is 2000 kilometers wide and is the most important potash mine and resource of the country. This surreally beautiful salt lake is a vast white salt plain covered with pentagon-shaped salt sediment created as a result of water vaporization and the difference between day and light temperature. The Selkonun Salt Lake of the Mesr Desert is another salt plain in this area, located on the northeast of this desert. This desert was created by a flood more than forty years ago.
Located in the heart of the Central Desert of Iran, the Mesr Desert has warm and dry weather with a very low amount of annual rain. Therefore, it has a very hot climate and straight sunlight from mid-June to late September, and because of its low humidity, it has very cold weather during winter. The best time of year for visiting the Mesr Desert is from October to late November and then from March to May, which are considered desert tour peak seasons in Iran. However, the scenic landscape of the Mesr Desert and its mysterious atmosphere are so attractive that many travelers visit this place and other deserts of Iran all around the year, in spite of hot weather and cold weather.
