Maranjab Desert

Maranjab Desert is a popular tourism destination in Aran va Bidgol County of Isfahan Province. With its magnificent landscapes of sand dunes and hills, Maranjab Desert is located close to a salt lake and is linked to a national park. Shah Abbasi Caravanserai of Maranjab is one of the landmarks of this stunning desert. This structure was built in 1012 AH by the order of Shah Abbas Safavid along the Silk Road so that the passengers, most of whom traveled through deserts, would spend nights in this roadside inn. The Caravanserai has almost the form of a square and has been built in an area of three thousand and five hundred square meters. It has twenty-nine rooms.

Upon traveling to Maranjab, Shah Abbasi Caravanserai is only one of the sites that can be visited. One should not forget the rest of the historical and cultural monuments of the region. One of them is Dastkand Well. The well is located five kilometers east of the caravanserai and stores fresh and drinkable water. The reason for the purity of the water is the layers of sand that absorb the salt and purifies the water.

The natural attractions of Maranjab are as significant as its historical ones. One of them is Salt Lake. This lake is also known as Masileh and Salt Lake of Aran va Bidgol. The water from Rud Shur and other rivers pour into this lake. It is located nine kilometers from Shah Abbasi Caravanserai. During most of the year, it is covered with salt and dried. After the rains and when the water evaporates, geometric forms can be found on the surface of the ground, which is made of salt crystals. In the science of geology, they are called Polygons.

Another attraction of Maranjab is Jazire Sargardan (Sargardan Island) which is also located close to the lake. This island is floating not in the water, but in a sea of salt. The floating and movement of the island can be seen after the rains. When the rain starts, water surrounds the island. The movement of the water makes it look like it is the island that is moving around.

Walking on the tall sand runes and playing with the flowing sand, rapidly changing into different forms, is one of the important activities of a trip to Maranjab Desert.