Varzaneh: Safest Deserts Of Iran

Varzaneh:Safest Deserts Of Iran

It has a population of 14,000 sprawling over 23,000km² at an altitude of 1477m above sea level. Like most parts of central Iran, it has a quite dry desert climate.
Almost all of the year, it has the same temperature of Isfahan city. The temperature sometimes drops below zero in January and February after midnight. Due to lack of humidity, people feel less steamy and disappointing weather in summer. Since there is much less dust and almost no cloud in sky in summer, it has an ideal area around for stargazing. If you travel in summer, avoid visiting its desert from 11 in the morning until 4 p.m. as the sands are burning hot. In all neighborhood of the town, you will see plenty of Iran desert traditional house and guest houses.
Varzaneh was the last civilization on the Zayanderud river since 5000 years ago. The Zayanderud river ends at Gavkhouni wetland which is 30km east of Varzaneh. Within the lands between wetland and Varzaneh, signs of very ancient civilization are unearthed. Further investigations on some pots that have been discovered, confirms the fact that the district of Varzaneh has been inhabited for 5,000 years.
Varzaneh is famous regionally and all over the world for its spectacular desert, which ranked as one of the most accessible deserts of Iran, in particular for tourists coming to Isfahan city. Many travellers like their desert close to civilization – that way they have food and water easy to reach by car, and access to medical centres in the case of any problem. Although, Varzaneh desert is ranked as one of the safest deserts of Iran, it’s only 15km away from its sand dune desert.
Women’s wearing:
The women in Varzaneh wear white chadors (a full-length fabric wrap, roughly semicircular in form worn by women). Some believe that people living in Zoroastrian era used to wear white clothes and this tradition remained unchanged up to the present time; others think that as cotton is produced and manufactured in Varzaneh, and the weather is too hot in summer, people preferred to wear white clothes.
Handicrafts:
There are a few women in Varzaneh (the old ones) who know how to make Sofre; a piece of cotton texture (about 1sq meter) made of colorful threads of cotton which is used to keep bread safe and fresh.
Old buildings
Masjed-e Jame (Jame Mosque):
The mosque and its 20-meter-high minarets were built c1100 – although the mosque was largely rebuilt in the Timurid 15th century. The tile work (incorporating the name of Shah Rukh, the son of Timur Lang) of the ivan (a tall vaulted portal or doorway, fully developed in Seljuk architecture from the 11th century) leading to the prayer chamber on the minbar (a stepped construction, often made of wood or stone, situated near the mihrab within a mosque, from which the Friday homily was given) and the mihrab (a niche or panel, often very decorative, showing the correct direction to align oneself for prayer prostrations) is splendid. It is on the mihrab that the date 1444 is recorded, after the Koranic inscription (k3: 38-9). The different appearance of the north ivan results from 17th-century Safavid repairs.
Ghoortan 1000-year-old Fort
Have a short visit to Ghoortan Fort on the bank of Zayande- rood river (90 kilometers southeast of Isfahan, 12 kilometers west of Varzaneh) and you’ll be one thousand years back in history. It is about 40000 square meters. The fort was entered by two gateways. It has fourteen round towers. Defense walls are about 9 meters high and 3 to 5 meters thick. The fort is made of adobe. Four families are living there.
The old bridge:
It was built on Zayande-rood river in the Deylamian and Seljuks era. It has ten arches. It is 67 meters long and 6.5 meters wide. Each arch is 4 meters wide.
Gavkhooni Wetland
From Varzaneh one could continue east for 25kms to visit Gavkhooni wetland (longitude: from 52°۲۱’۲۲” to 34” east, latitude: from 31°۵۰’۱۸” to 33°۴۳’۵۰” north). The diversity of the wetland environment is so rich. The mouth of the river is located in the north and the northwest parts of the wetland. On the south, there is a vast coverage of salt which is now being extracted and used.
On the west and south-west parts, there is an extended range of sand hills which results in a totally different interesting panorama. A large mountain range encircles the land located on the east. The Black Mount is on the edge of the water.
*Gavkhooni wetland is a preserved ecosystem in Iran. It hosts a large number of birds who migrate to this area during winter. A large number of birds, most of which were geese and flamingos, migrate to this area. Gavkhooni wetland not only plays an important role in reducing the severe heat of the area during summer times, it is also considered very important for the underground supply of water and preventing the area from turning into a desert.
There are some attempts to introduce the enormous potentials this area has in attracting tourists. Not very far past, the area was the settlement of a large number of zebras who became extinct due to the environmental changes and uncontrolled hunting in the region.
Different species of birds and marine animals still live in the area. By changing this wetland to an international tourism destination, a large number of tourists will flood into the area which would result in attracting investment to this region as well.
From Varzaneh toward the southeast, driving through a green panorama of cultivated lands, a great big sand dune seems to burst out of the ground on the left-hand side of the road. It was 5 to 62 meters high and 45 km long. Its width ranges from 1 to 10 km.
A curious impulse tells you, “Take your shoes off and have fun.” You will simply disappear over the top, and start slip-sliding up the sloping face of the dune. You will marvel at how soft and fine the sand is, and how pleasantly cool it felt between your recently-liberated toes. When you arrive at the top your feet will be greeted by slightly blowing sand and when you reach the highest point on the dune, you have the unique opportunity to survey the surrounding landscape. The hills have a more varied character than what’s apparent. In spring, due to seasonal raining, elsewhere in the nearby area are a couple of small lakes.
Everybody will be intrigued by the complex patterns waves made on the dune – the wind’s work-in-progress. While blowing, winds leave surprising degrees of animation in these dunes.