According to biblical legends, it was Ararat that was the place where Noah's ark moored. Moreover, this is not the only story that is associated with the greatest mountain. There is another amazing legend about the creation of the world, according to which, from the day the planet was formed to the days of today, the Caucasus has always been and is under the reliable protection of three mountain giants: Elbrus, Kazbek and Ararat.
Where is Mount Ararat located? What is she and how to get to her? This and much more will be discussed in this article.
Mount Ararat is a long-standing and indisputable symbol of the Armenian people. This is the highest massif of the entire Armenian Highlands.
Symbol of the people of Armenia
Ararat is a mountain, possessed by three Asian states at different periods of time: Armenia, Iran and Turkey. This is due to its location.
According to 2 treaties (Moscow and Kars), Ararat withdrew to Turkey in 1921, however, it is still difficult for the Armenian people to accept such a loss. After all, the mountain is the national symbol of Armenia. It should be noted that it is from this state that the greatness of the mountain, its height and unearthly beauty are most noticeably felt.
According to any Armenian, according to an ancient belief, Ararat can predict the future. It is worth seeing the peak in all its glory from the very early morning, and you can be sure that the whole day will turn out well.
Location
The peak of Mount Ararat, located in Turkey, is perfectly visible from the capital of Armenia. Viewpoints of Yerevan allow you to enjoy the amazing beauty of the mountains at sunset. The distance to the Armenian border is about 32 kilometers, and to the Iran-Turkish border - about 16 kilometers.
The mountain is of volcanic origin, and this sleeping volcano can be active at any time. However, locals should not be afraid of lava flows due to the fact that magma is rather viscous here.
Where is Mount Ararat administratively located? It is located in the Turkish region of Igdir.
Bit of history
In the period 1828-1920, Ararat was part of Armenia and the Russian Empire, but as a result of the Armenian-Turkish war (1920) and the subsequent Kars peace treaty, it became Turkish.
Armenians used to always live near Mount Ararat, and the entire Armenian Highlands were part of the great Armenia, which in those days was a developed ancient state, which was later crushed by the Seljuk Turks. After all the actions of the Turkish military against the civilian population in 1915, there was practically no indigenous Indo-European population remaining in these places, although until 1915 the Armenians here represented the vast majority among local residents.
Description of Mount Ararat
The mountain, as noted above, owes its origin to an extinct volcano. All its slopes are almost deserted, and the slopes, steep and gently sloping places are covered with many fragments of basalt from the time of the Cenozoic period. Once these stones were part of a powerful lava flow, which managed to weather and transform over many centuries.
The volcanic origin of the mountain is also explained by the excessive dryness of its surface. Porous rocks feed only on meltwater of glaciers, which does not contribute to the growth of vegetation in the warm seasons. Only in the vicinity of the saddle of Sardar-Bulagskaya, where an abundant stream of moisture breaks out from the mountains, is the vegetation quite lush, there is even a cool birch grove.
What is the height of Mount Ararat? In fact, it has two peaks: Sis (small, with a height of 3896 meters) and Masis (large), whose height is 4420 meters. Between them the distance is 11 km.
In total there are about 30 small glaciers, among which the largest is considered to be the St. Glacier. Jacob (2 km).
About the origin of the name
The name at Mount Ararat is not Armenian, and it is named after the ancient state of Urartu.
Once this name was given to grief by European and Russian travelers, and local Armenian residents and neighboring peoples used it in connection with the wide spread of the Russian language during the period when these territories were part of the Russian Empire.
About mountain climbing
The peoples who inhabited the outskirts of Ararat believed that climbing the mountain was a godly and impudent business. In this regard, most of the climbers are foreigners.
Geographic science does not know how many Armenians climbed Ararat, but the first recorded trip to the top of the mountain in 1829 was made by Alexei Zdorovenko, Johann Parrot, Hovhannes Ayvazyan, Matvey Chalpanov and Murad Pogosyan. And the first solitary conquest is considered the rise of James Grimes in 1876.
Legends
As noted in the article, it was Mount Ararat that was once a pier for Noah's Ark. According to the legend, several days have passed since the flood began, and Noah, who could not see with his own eyes a single patch of dry earth, decided to let out a dove. The bird was absent for quite some time, and when she returned to the savior, she held a fresh olive branch in her beak. And this could mean that the water nevertheless retreated and a new life came. Noah and his family left the famous ark and went down to the valley, where he began to live happily. It was then, according to Christian beliefs, that the first grape bush was planted and laid the foundation for the popular craft - winemaking.
Mount Ararat periodically attracts romantics engaged in excavations in these places. This is due to the fact that there are rumors that in those places where the aforementioned biblical events developed, the peak covered with a hat of eternal snows continues to keep some unsolved secrets. Perhaps, deep under the ice, the remains of that ark are still hiding.
