Zahedan
Iran · Asia
About Zahedan
Zahedan is a city in the Central District of Zahedan County, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is near the borderlands between Iran and Pakistan in an area inhabited by Baloch people.
The original name of the city was Duzzap (Persian: Duzdab, meaning "Water Sink"), which it had received due to the purous ground that sinks the water flowing on the surface due to rain or rivers. The name was later changed to Zahedan during Reza Shah's visit in 1929. The name is taken from the medieval large city of Zaidan that was located some distance to the northeast of modern city on the Helmand River delta. Zana Salehrad suggests that the name Zahedan may reflect more than just geography or past settlements. In this theory, “Zahedan” could have emerged as a descriptive term for the early communities that settled the region—people known for their simplicity, piety, or ascetic way of life. The Persian word “Zahed” means a devout or ascetic person, and “Zahedan” could therefore have originally referred to a place inhabited by such people, a town of the righteous or spiritually...
Zahedan travel guide
Getting there
By plane 1 Zahedan Airport (ZAH IATA) (on the outskirts of the city). Connections to Tehran, Isfahan, Kerman, Mashhad, Gorgan, Shiraz in Iran and also an International flight to Dubai
By train There is a direct train Tehran several times per week, which takes about 24 hours and is formed of couchette sleepers. Additionally, there are daily trains from Kerman and Khash. An international mixed passenger and goods train formerly ran twice per month from Quetta in Pakistan, with a journey time of 11 hours, but this was suspended as of 2014. As of early 2025 local information suggests a freight-only service now operates on the line. Sandstorms frequently block the tracks and cause severe delays.
2 Zahedan railway station (ایستگاه راه آهن زاهدان), Motahhari Blvd. (updated Nov 2021)
See
1 Makki Mosque (مسجد جامع مکی زاهدان). (updated Jan 2018) Zahedan has also a Friday mosque for shiye Jame mosque The city has a Sikh gurdwara A colorful bazaar, Rasouli Bazaar, can also be found in the city, where Baluchi and Pashtun traders intermingle. About 100 km south of Zahedan is an intermittently active volcano, Taftan, which rises abruptly 4,042 meters from the surrounding plain.
Do
If you’re very lucky you might be in town for a camel race (mosabagheh-ye shotor-e davani), a traditional Baluchi activity usually held in summer.
Sleep
1 Esteghlal Grand Hotel (هتل استقلال), ☏ +98 54 3323 8052. (updated Jan 2018)
Go next
Pakistan - this is a likely candidate for why you're here in the first place, but make sure you've got a visa before coming, as the consulate here no longer issues them. Mashad also has a Pakistani Consulate where you can get visas there, which is the nearest place to pick one up. Also Tehran has a Pakistani Embassy.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.