Sistan-Baluchestan province is located in the east and southeast of Iran. It is Iran’s vastest province with an area approximately equal to that of Syria but is less populous. Sistan includes Zabol and the cities around it and Baluchestan encompasses the rest of the cities from Zahedan to Chabahar.
This province has special significance in the region because of being located in a strategic and transit location; especially Chabahar which is the only ocean in Iran and the best and easiest access route of the middle Asian countries to free waters.
Zahedan city as the center of Sistan-Baluchestan is the neighborhood of Khorasan province in the north, the province of Kerman in the west, and in the south is within the limits of the townships of Iran Shahr and Khash. To its east are the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The city of Zahedan is the center of the province and lies at a distance of 1,605 km. from Tehran.
Zahedan is the center of this province, which is also connected to Mirjaveh of Pakistan through the railroad. Sistan and Baluchestan province is considered to be the rainbow of the country’s mines. This province has unparalleled natural and historical attractions and the Chabahar port has also added to its beauty. Share Sukhteh, listed at UNESCO World Heritage is world-renowned.
Zahedan experiences a tropical type of climate in the south, but to the north, it is comparatively moderate. In the early period of the reign of Fathali Shah Qajar, there was a well in the vicinity of Zahedan which was used by highway robbers. But in the year 1315 AH., a subterranean canal (Qanat) was dug by one of the inhabitants which caused the formation of a small village named 'Dozdab'. After the Belgians antiblack in this area, in order to install a customs office, it gradually developed and thereby its population increased. The name Dozdab was renamed Zahedan in the year 1935, after which it rapidly expanded and became the center of the province.
*** Shahr-e Sukhteh
In ancient times when human beings were practicing sedentary life, a city which archeologists considered as the world's first city in terms of urban texture, population, urban planning, etc. emerged in Sistan. The burned City and its creative and intelligent civilization, over 5,000 years old, is the largest urbanization (city-dwelling) in the eastern half of Iranian Plateau and a unique example of science, industry, and culture in ancient times of this land.
Shahr-e Sukhteh is the remaining of an ancient city in Iran located 56 kilometers from Zabol on the side of Zabol-Zahedan Road in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Southeast of Iran. The time of this big city's construction coincides with Jiroft Culture Bronze Age. Iranians lived in this city about 6000 years ago.
This city was built on the alluvium of Helmand River estuaries to Hamun Lake. Based on discoveries made in the Burnt City during the consecutive years, it can be claimed that this city was the most important place of residence and in fact, the capital of the district during the Bronze Age.
It is said that Shahr-e Sukhte is the most advanced city of the old world, even more, advanced than Crete City which Sinuhe has mentioned in his book.
In the 38th convention of UNESCO on June 22, 2014, Shahr-e Sukhte was registered in UNESCO World Heritage.
**** Lut Desert
The Lut Desert has been put on the United Nations list three years ago and is capable of flourishing as a major Iranian tourist resort.
Iran's Lut Desert was registered on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) natural heritage list in 2016 when the 40th meeting of the body was underway in Istanbul.
It was the first natural resorts of the country on the list where Iran already had other 19 cultural heritage sites. The stunning desert lies on southeastern Iran, straddling the country's three South Khorasan, Sistan-Baluchestan, and Kerman provinces.
Spanning an area of 22,780 square meters, Lut is comprised of dunes, yardangs, nabkhas, hammadas, and basaltic plateau, each with unique spectacular landscapes that rarely can be found in other parts of the world.
*** Chehel Dokhtaran Castle, Nik Shahr
In the upper Sukhteh Valley and in the wide bed of the Hamoon, to the southwest of Nik Shahr is the ruins of a structure reputedly known as 'Chehel Dokhtaran'. The same comprises a tall castle and a minaret on the entrance which faces the east. The form of this minaret reveals that on each side of the entrance two chambers were present, and this (minaret) may be related to the minarets of 'Sar-o-Tar' and 'Chehel Borj'.
The Chehel Dokhtaran structure has been constructed on a platform comprising of large slabs, cemented together with clay. There are a row of light sutures on the upper portion which has aided in the protection of the stone walls.
Iran Shahr Old Castle, Iran Shahr
The said castle was a seat of power or command in the past in Baluchestan. It is a brick construction, built during the reign of Naseblackin Shah by Firooz Mirza in the year 1264 AH.
**** Saam Castle, Zahedan
The said castle is located within a distance of 28 km. in Zahedan - Zabol Road, and its structure is in the form of an irregular trapezium. This castle has two entrances, one to the north, and the other to the south with a watchtower. This relic belongs to the Parth period and has been made of sun-baked bricks. The said structure has 36 watchtowers, 9 of which stand in each corner of the castle, and 28 watchtowers surround the structure itself.
6125**1416
Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish