The Kavir Desert in Iran is famous for its vast salt flats and is also called Dasht-e Kavir.
Dasht-e Kavir occupies a large basin in northern-central Iran. The Persian word “kavir” refers to salt marshes or salt flats, reflecting the desert’s characteristic crusted surfaces. Seasonal water collects in closed basins, evaporates under intense aridity, and leaves behind mineral deposits including salt.
The desert’s terrain also includes gravel plains, mud flats, dunes, and rocky areas. Its surrounding mountains help isolate the basin and influence local drainage. Because the water has no route to the sea, dissolved minerals accumulate instead of being carried away.
The Kavir Desert is often confused with the nearby Lut Desert, or Dasht-e Lut. Lut is particularly noted for its extremely hot surface temperatures and dramatic eroded landforms, while Dasht-e Kavir is especially associated with broad salt flats and marshes. Both are major deserts of Iran, but they are separate geographical regions.