Rig-e Zarrin Desert

Rig-e Zarrin Desert, also known as Moghestan, is located in Yazd Province, near the town of Ardakan. A range of heights runs through the middle of the desert and divides it into northern and southern sections. Rig-e Zarrin is one of the most popular deserts in Yazd. Its geographical name is Aghda, or the Siah Kuh Desert, but it has become known as Rig-e Zarrin because of the Rig-e Zarrin camp held there.

Rig-e Zarrin Desert is surrounded on all sides by arid desert areas. Visiting them can be part of your trip to the desert, and it will undoubtedly be a new and fascinating experience. At the centre of the desert, a black mountain about 2,050 metres high rises firm and steady. This is why it was called Aghda, meaning the "black desert", in the past. One of the most interesting features of Rig-e Zarrin is that its overall shape resembles a horseshoe, with Siah Kuh (Black Mountain) lying in its inner curve.

Like other deserts, Rig-e Zarrin has very little vegetation, though tamarisk trees can be seen along its edges. Among its notable features is the growth of medicinal plants such as garden cress, kakuti (wild thyme), wild spinach and camelthorn, which have many beneficial properties. Wherever you travel in the world, you will see birds and animals whose bodies and ways of life are perfectly suited to the local climate. So when visiting Rig-e Zarrin Desert, you will see birds such as the sand partridge, chukar partridge, eagle and rock dove soaring in the clear blue desert sky.

The best time to travel is autumn. In spring and summer the desert becomes hot, and in winter bitterly cold, biting winds blow across it, making travel very difficult for tourists.