Rig-e Jenn, the Dunes of the Jinn
In the middle of Iran's great salt desert lies a sea of dunes that caravans refused to cross, believing it belonged to the jinn.
What was reported
Rig-e Jenn, 'the dunes of the jinn', is a vast area of sand dunes in the heart of the Dasht-e Kavir, Iran's great salt desert. Old caravan routes went around it rather than through it: travellers believed it was home to jinn and evil spirits, and that those who entered would be lost.
Even the Swedish explorer Sven Hedin, who crossed many of Asia's deserts, avoided it in the early 1900s. Only a handful of expeditions have crossed it since.
Explanations offered
Its reputation probably comes from real danger: shifting dunes, salt marsh that can trap people and animals, extreme heat, and no water. Sounds of wind and moving sand at night may have added to the legend. It is now visited by a few desert tour groups.
- When
- Legend for centuries
- Where
- Dasht-e Kavir, between Semnan and Isfahan, Iran
- Witnesses
- Caravan travellers and explorers
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.