Book on Iran’s Lut Desert Hits Shelves

A book on the vast Lut Desert in east-central Iran has been published in both Farsi and English, according to a Farsi report by IRNA.

The book titled “The Lut Desert: Iran’s First Natural Feature Registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List” was published by Iranian cultural heritage institutions, including the Directorate General for Cultural Heritage in the northeastern Iranian province of South Khorasan.

“The Lut Desert is an amazing Iranian phenomenon; so, before it was registered, extensive research was conducted on the location and geographical features, the traditional-historical scenery, and the flora and fauna of the desert as well as the international standards [based on which it has been evaluated],” said Ali Shariati, the deputy director of the directorate general.

“Now, given that the Lut Desert has been registered internationally and considering the efforts made by researchers and the growing number of domestic and foreign visitors, we tried to publish the book in Persian and English and make it available to domestic and foreign visitors,” he added.

The book expounds on the cultural and historical attractions of the desert as well as the activities of local communities. The book also highlights the necessity of preserving the region.

The Lut Desert is a large salt desert measuring around 23,000 sq km. It was registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List on July 17, 2016.