Jandaq: Historical Old Town

Jandaq: Historical Old Town

The city is located at the heart of the desert and it is hard to go there. However, the city attracts a lot of domestic and foreign tourists every year. The small city contains many tourism attractions as follows.
The sole residential fortress in Iran
There are historical relics dating back to about 2,000 years ago in Jandaq. The city has been located on the path of the historical Silk Road and has been a place where caravans rested.
There is a fortress in Jandaq, which is called Anoushirvan Fortress and is the sole fortress in the country where people still live. Anoushirvan Fortress is one of the biggest historical fortresses off the country which comprises walls with towers on the four sides.
The historical and spectacular fortress has a gate, which is flanked by two towers, each 22 m high, and opens to the east. Anoushirvan with its unique architectures is located amid the historical part of Jandaq and has special characteristics. If you go there in the middle of the summer, you would be having a cold weather while the climate is relatively warmer in wintertime. The fortress encircles old and beautiful houses in which the people of Jandaq still live.
Religious people
The grand mosque of Jandaq and the once residence of the famous poet, Yaghmay-e Jandaqi, are located inside Anoushirvan Fortress. The grand mosque of Jandaq has been a place for gatherings held by the faithful since 960 AH and includes a square which is used for mourning over Imam Hossein (AS) during the lunar month of Moharram.
All people of Jandaq are Twelver Shias and strictly religious. Despite its small population (about 6,000), religious caravans are sent out from the city to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Syria annually.The house of Yaghmay-e Jandaqi enjoys a special architectural style among all houses which have been built inside Anoushirvan Fortress. The building enjoys historical significance and in the case of good attention by officials, it can be turned into a major tourism attraction.
Egypt in Iran
A village called Mesr (Persian name for Egypt) is located 40 km from Jandaq and is a major resort for domestic and foreign tourists.
The village has been built about 150 years ago by a person called Yousef and he named his village after the city where Prophet Joseph (Yousef in Persian) once reigned. Due to its geographical location and existence of beautiful sand dunes, the village is very attractive to eco-tourists. Tourists can ride on camels when visiting the village.It would be an incredible experience to pass through sand dunes, which will be possible during a visit to Jandaq.Also, caravans of tourists visiting the village, spend the night in the desert so as to watch stars in beautiful nights of the Iranian desert. Foreign tourists visiting the region have been surprised at seeing so much beauty.
Red gold in Jandaq
Saffron is a major product of Jandaq. The city yields a high-quality variety of the Iranian saffron, but due to water shortage, it is only consumed by locals.Jandaq carpets have been among the most famous Iranian carpets since a long time ago. Due to long distance, unemployment is among major problems of the city. People of Jandaq make a living by working at brick kilns and weaving Naein carpets.There are many mines around Jandaq where young people work. People of Jandaq expect their city to become more prosperous by attracting tourists to their desert city.
Warm-blooded and hospitable
People of Jandaq are very warm-blooded, perseverant and hospitable due to their Islamic and religious culture. Jandaq and its people have been mentioned in the worlds of various historians and writers like Nasser Khosrow, in his travel logs, Hamdollah Mostofi, in his book “Nuzhat ul-Qulub”, Moqaddasi, in his book “Ahsan ul-Taqasim”, and Hekmat Yaghmaei in his book “On the Shores of Salt Desert”.A police station was established in Jandaq in 1941, but it was dismantled in 1971 because, during those 30 years, not a single case was referred to it. The station has been reopened since 5 years ago, but it only handles cases related to road accidents.The people of Jandaq have a great spirit and play host to tourists who visit their city from early fall up to the middle of the spring. During that period, the weather in Jandaq is very pleasant for tourists who crave to know more about its historical and natural heritage.
Aran-Bidgol salt lake
The salt lake is located in the central desert region of Iran. This lake is known as Aran va Bidgol salt lake. Choosing this name is due to the high salinity of the lake, in such a way that salt particles float on the lake in the summer.
This lake with the length and width of 80 and 30 kilometers respectively is the result of tectonic subsidence that is created 795 meters above the sea level. The area of Aran-Bidgol salt lake is about 3000 square kilometers; it is like a triangle that its vertex facing the north.
This natural site is covered with salt deposits which have been created over centuries by the accumulation of floods and surface water. The salt depth here is between 5 to 54 meters, which is separated by the clay layers. The interesting point here is that the water level of the lake will reach to two centimeters in some areas in the rainy months, but when the sun shines, it will be evaporated quickly.
The important rivers that get into this lake are the Shour River, Karaj River, Jajrud River, Hableh-Rud River, and Qareh-Chai River, all of them located on the north and west of this site. The most important compounds in the salt lake are sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, and etc.