Khar Turan National Park in Iran
The protected area of Khar Turan National Park in Iran, registered as a
biosphere reserve at UNESCO, is one of the few areas in the world where the
Asiatic cheetah can be found.
From thick forests to mountains, from coastal areas to deserts, etc. vastness
and diversity are characteristic of the nature of Iran and so all these can be
experienced in this country. Perhaps for this reason it is not surprising to
Iranians, to move a short distance from the Hyrcanian Cloud Forests, an reach a
dry and semi-arid region called "Turan" or "Khar Turan" in the north of central
desert of the country.
An Africa Inside Iran
Khar Turan National Park is considered to be the Africa of Iran. From its low
fields to its mountains, there are habitats of diverse and rare wildlife
including mammals such as deer and Pallas’s cats, birds such as Houbara,
Pleske’s ground jay, and White-eyed buzzard, and reptiles such as Desert
Monitors, Ja'afari snakes and Iranian horned snakes, etc. Still, Khar Turan’s
wildlife is not important just because of the aforementioned rare species, but
for its Asiatic cheetah and Iranian zebra.
Asiatic cheetah is a highly endangered subspecies of which only less than 100
remain in the world, and it is now found only in Iran. One of its main habitats
in this country is Khar Turan National Park. The Iranian zebra aka the Persian
Onager is also in danger of extinction. Unlike the typical image of zebras, the
Iranian zebra is beige in color and is not striped. All in all, and in terms
wildlife, Khar Turan is now one of the most important areas of the world to be
explored by nature enthusiasts.
The Night, The Desert, and The Silence
But the journey to Khar Turan is not limited to wildlife observation. Desert
trekking and camping on and around the sand dunes also tempt explorers from
different parts of the world of various climates to travel long distances and
experience the desert life in this region. By camping in the desert, they enjoy
the starry sky of desert nights that is in a way closer to mankind than anywhere
else. The observation of stars alone can be enough to make you travel to this
area.
Where to Stay in Khar Turan
Khar Turan is located 140 km to the south-east of Shahrud along Tehran-Mashhad
Road. There are different options of accommodation in this area including local
people's homestays in villages that are very welcoming to travelers. There are
also some eco-lodges in this area in which travelers can stay and have
delightful moments of their trip.
8/31/2023 3:43:30 AM
