Jashak Salt Dome

Jashak Salt Dome is a mountain made of salt that is located in the northern side of Jashak Mountain with the height of one thousand and three hundred and fifty kilometers, in the south end of Zagros Mountain. This salt dome is twelve kilometers long, four and a half kilometers wide, spreading over an area about three thousand and six hundred and fifty hectares.

Jashak Salt Dome is located between two districts of Bardkhoon and Kaki, between the counties of Dayyer and Dashti. This salt dome can be found one hundred and forty-four kilometers southeast of Bandar Bushehr and sixty kilometers of Khormoj and fifteen kilometers of Kaki, in Bushehr Province. Jashak Village is located in north and Gankhak village in the east side of this dome. But this dome is only one of one hundred and fourteen salt domes of south of Iran. Jashak Salt Dome is white. It shines brightly on the eastern side of Kangan Road to Bushehr like a snow mountain. Other parts of this salt dome are located on the foot of the mountain, visible in orange, yellow, red and gray lines, which indicates the existence of metal elements. That is why they are also called Rainbow Salt. The brightness of Jashak Salt Dome is so much that it can be seen in a photo taken from a NASA space station in 2006.

There are some salt glaciers in the eastern side of this dome. Although they are not real glaciers considering the high temperature of south of Iran, they can be compared to them. There are also the beautiful salt waterfalls in Jashak Salt Dome. During sometimes of year, mostly spring and summer, big crystals of slat can be seen in them. Just like the glaciers, these waterfalls are not real, but they are flows of the salt. Water erosion can be traced in all over the dome. One of the features formed by erosion is the caves that have been formed by the melting of salt sediments.

Another feature formed by the water erosion, are the columns called Takht Div. These columns have generated local legends about them. Another feature is the Gol Kalam (Cauliflower) Valley that is orange and white.

Some of the animals that inhabit these lands are wild goat, goat, fox, jackal, hyena, and birds such as sandgrouse, partridge, see-see partridge, bee-eater, swallow, common swift, sparrow and finches, as well as some species of reptiles.

Plants such as Milkvetch and shrubs of Jujube, Bryophyllum and lichens form some of the vegetation of this area.