Mount Ararat: Turkey’s Sacred Mountain
Located in eastern Turkey near the borders with Armenia and Iran, Mount Ararat is the country’s tallest peak and holds deep cultural and religious significance. At 16,854 feet (5,137 meters), Mount Ararat has two volcanic cones – Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Its permanent ice cap and rugged terrain make climbing the mountain difficult and dangerous.
According to the Book of Genesis in the Bible, Mount Ararat is where Noah’s Ark came to rest after the Great Flood. Because of this biblical connection, Mount Ararat has long been considered a holy site. It features prominently in Armenian literature and art over the centuries. The mountain remains a national symbol of Armenia despite the massif being located in present-day Turkey.
Mount Ararat has been temporarily off-limits to climbers at various points in modern history due to its position along Turkey’s sensitive borders. Political tensions have also affected access over time. The first recorded ascent of the mountain was in 1829 and it was successfully climbed numerous times during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, Mount Ararat was closed to climbers for over 50 years until Turkey re-opened access in the mid-1990s.
Today, permits are required but thousands of climbers from around the world come to attempt to summit its slopes each year. However, the mountain’s erratic weather, the frequent danger of rockfall, tricky terrain and high elevation continue to pose challenges. Success rates are low, and fatalities are not uncommon on Mount Ararat. For devout Christians, Jews and Muslims alike though, braving the mountain is seen as a pilgrimage offering not just physical challenges but spiritual rewards.
