Which Iranian desert is also called the Great Salt Desert?

Dasht-e Kavir is the Iranian desert also called the Great Salt Desert or Kavir Desert. It lies across the central Iranian Plateau, where surrounding mountains channel runoff into broad salt marshes, seasonal lakes, and dry playas.

The name reflects the desert’s landscape: evaporation leaves thick salt crusts across muddy basins after winter precipitation and mountain runoff disappear. One of its major features is Kavir Buzurg, or Great Kavir, while Namak Lake lies along the desert’s western edge. The desert stretches across several Iranian provinces, including Semnan, Tehran, Isfahan, and Yazd.

Dasht-e Kavir is often confused with Dasht-e Lut, another major Iranian desert. Dasht-e Lut lies farther southeast and is commonly known as the Lut Desert or Desert of Emptiness; it is not the Great Salt Desert. The two deserts are separated by Iran’s central mountain and desert landscapes.

Despite its harsh conditions, the Kavir supports salt-tolerant vegetation and wildlife along its margins. Rig-e Jenn, a dune area traditionally associated with jinn and spirits, is among its best-known cultural features.