Seh Qaleh, a heaven for desert backpackers and astronomers in Iran

Seh Qaleh town is the capital of Seh Qaleh district in south Khorasan province, east of Iran. Seh Qaleh desert is located in south of the town, 130 Km northwest of Birjand, the capital of the state. Here synergistic effects of geology and geography have caused a remarkable location for both desert rolling and astronomy. The area is covered by Quaternary alluvial sediments containing sand, salt and gypsum far from local dust flows. Open horizon at the observatory and dark sky have created a well-known station for astronomy along with desert entertainments. According to geographical aspects the sky here is darkest in the middle east and astronomic limiting magnitude is highest in Iran. High security, flowing sand dunes and Salt Lake are other outstanding features of the region as a unique land for tourism.