Mount Ararat: Difference between revisions

Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat
Highest point
Elevation	5,137 m (16,854 ft)
Prominence	3,611 m (11,847 ft)
Isolation	379.29 km (235.68 mi)

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aMount Ararat (Turkish Ağrı Dağı; Armenian Արարատ; Kurdish Agirî, Ararat; Persian آرارات Ararat; Hebrew אררט, Standard Hebrew Ararat, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĂrārāṭ), the tallest peak in modern Turkey, is a snow-capped dormant volcanic cone, located in the far northeast of Turkey, 16 km west of Iranian and 32 km south of Armenian border.

Ararat dominates the skyline of Armenia's capital Yerevan. The name Ağrı in Turkish is derived from Agirî in Kurdish meaning "fiery", referring to Ararat being volcanic. Technically, Ararat is a stratovolcano, formed of lava flows and pyroclastic ejecta. A smaller (3,896 m) cone, Mount Masis, also known as "Little Ararat" , rises just southeast of the main peak. The lava plateau stretches out between the two pinnacles. The last activity on the mountain was a major earthquake in July 1840 centered around the Ahora Gorge, a northeast trending chasm that drops 1,825 metres (6,000 ft) from the top of the mountain.

The Book of Genesis identifies the "mountains of Ararat" as the resting place of Noah's Ark after the Great Flood described there.

History

Over the centuries, Mount Ararat has been passed back and forth like a ping-pong ball. In ancient times, the volcano was located in a large Armenian Kingdom, which was conquered by the Romans in 30 B.C. After almost four centuries, during which the area was occasionally invaded by various rivals of the Romans, it became part of a new Christian Armenian kingdom, which was formed in 301 A.D. Armenia enjoyed ownership of the land until the seventh century A.D., when the area became part of the Byzantine Empire. Ararat was retaken by a new Armenian kingdom early in the ninth century A.D. The Seljuk Turks took the area in the eleventh century A.D. The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia ruled the area from the end of the twelfth century A.D. until it was conquered by the Mamluk Turks in 1375, and in 1517 by the Ottoman Empire.

Dr. Friedrich Parrot was the first explorer in modern times to reach the summit of Mount Ararat, in 1829, along with Khachatur Abovian; he was followed in 1856 by a group of five explorers led by Major Robert Stuart.

The mountain was part of the Kars and Ardahan area occupied by Russia in 1878. In 1918, in the aftermath of World War I and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the area became part of the first Republic of Armenia, but the republic was short lived. With the invasion of the Red Army, the area became part of the Soviet Union. Following the Treaty of Kars in 1923, the area was divided up between Turkey and the USSR, and the new border, which became internationally recognised, placed Ararat on the Turkish side. Even after this, most Armenians still claimed the mountain. Armenia was joined together with Georgia and Azerbaijan under the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic. When the TSFSR was dissolved in 1936 and each of the three countries became separate Soviet Republics (Armenian SSR, Azerbaijan SSR, and Georgian SSR), Armenia depicted Ararat on its coat of arms. When Turkey protested against this on the grounds that Ararat was part of their territory, the Kremlin refused to take action. When Armenia regained its independence from the crumbling Soviet Union in 1991, it formally stated that it did not recognize the Treaty of Kars.

Symbolism

Since ancient times, Ararat has been revered by the Armenians as their spiritual home. Today, it is the national symbol of Armenia, where it is sometimes called Masis (Մասիս). Mount Ararat is featured in the center of the Coat of Arms of Armenia. The mountain is often depicted by Armenian artists on paintings, obsidian engravings and backgammon boards. From Yerevan, and practically most of the country, citizens and tourists get a clear glimpse of both Mount Ararat and Little Ararat. Khor Virap, a monastery located just before the border of Turkey, is particularly popular with tourists for its view of Mount Ararat.

In Abrahamic religions, the mountain is also thought to be the place Noah landed after the flood. (Genesis 8:4): "Then the ark rested in the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month on the mountains of Ararat."

The Ararat anomaly

The Ararat anomaly is an interesting feature located on the northwest corner of the Western Plateau of Mount Ararat (approximately 39°42′10″N 44°16′30″E / 39.70278°N 44.27500°E / 39.70278; 44.27500) at about 15,500 feet (4,724 meters), some 2.2 kilometers west of the 16,854 feet (5,137 metres) summit, on the edge of what appears from the photographs to be a steep downward slope. It is claimed by a growing number of believers in Noah's Ark (from the Old Testament) that this anomaly is the remains of Noah's Ark, but apparently this is not yet taken seriously by most archaeologists.

This ship-shaped feature, including what resembles a ship's superstructure in the right spot, has been sized by one satellite imaging expert at 1,015 feet (309 meters) long, as large as today's largest aircraft carriers and would dwarf the Titanic and German battleship Bismarck.

Elevation

An elevation of 5,165 m for Mount Ararat is given by some authorities, but SRTM data shows that this is less accurate than the elevation given here (5,137 m).

People

Historically the population around Mount Ararat was predominately Armenian, but nowadays it is mostly Kurdish

References in Art and Literature

The mountain was the setting for the legend of the ten thousand martyrs of Mount Ararat.

In the comic opera Iolanthe, by Gilbert and Sullivan (1882), there is a character named George Mountararat, who is an Earl and a leader of the British House of Peers.

Sources

Zooming in on Noah's Ark? Satellites Search for Ancient Artifact at space.com
Satellite Sleuth Closes in on Noah's Ark Mystery at livescience.com

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 ==History==
-Over the centuries, Mount Ararat has been passed back and forth like a [[ping-pong]] ball.  In ancient times, the volcano was located in a large [[Armenian Kingdom]], which was conquered by the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] in 30 B.C.  After almost four centuries, during which the area was occasionally invaded by various rivals of the Romans, it became part of a new Christian Armenian kingdom, which was formed in 301 A.D.  Armenia enjoyed ownership of the land until the seventh century A.D., when the area became part of the [[Byzantine Empire]].  Ararat was retaken by a new Armenian kingdom early in the ninth century A.D.  The [[Seljuk Turks]] took the area in the eleventh century A.D.  The [[Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia]] ruled the area from the end of the twelfth century A.D. until it was conquered by the [[Mamluk]] Turks in 1375, and in 1517 by the [[Ottoman Empire]], along with the many ethnic Armenians who lived in the area.{{fact}}
+Over the centuries, Mount Ararat has been passed back and forth like a [[ping-pong]] ball.  In ancient times, the volcano was located in a large [[Armenian Kingdom]], which was conquered by the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] in 30 B.C.  After almost four centuries, during which the area was occasionally invaded by various rivals of the Romans, it became part of a new Christian Armenian kingdom, which was formed in 301 A.D.  Armenia enjoyed ownership of the land until the seventh century A.D., when the area became part of the [[Byzantine Empire]].  Ararat was retaken by a new Armenian kingdom early in the ninth century A.D.  The [[Seljuk Turks]] took the area in the eleventh century A.D.  The [[Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia]] ruled the area from the end of the twelfth century A.D. until it was conquered by the [[Mamluk]] Turks in 1375, and in 1517 by  the [[Ottoman Empire]].
 [[Johann Jacob Friedrich Wilhelm Parrot|Dr. Friedrich Parrot]] was the first explorer in modern times to reach the summit of Mount Ararat, in [[1829]], along with [[Khachatur Abovian]]; he was followed in [[1856]] by a group of five explorers led by Major [[Robert Stuart]].
-The mountain was part of the Kars and Ardahan area occupied by [[Russia]] in [[1878]].  In [[1918]], in the aftermath of [[World War I]] and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the area became part of the first Republic of Armenia, but the republic was short lived.  With the invasion of the [[Red Army]], the area became part of the [[Soviet Union]]. Following the [[Treaty of Kars]] in [[1923]], the area was divided up between Turkey and the USSR, and the new border, which became internationally recognised, placed Ararat on the Turkish side. Even after this, most Armenians still claimed the mountain.  Armenia was joined together with [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] and [[Azerbaijan]] under the [[Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic]].  When the TSFSR was dissolved in [[1936]] and each of the three countries became separate Soviet Republics ([[Armenian SSR]], [[Azerbaijan SSR]], and [[Georgian SSR]]), Armenia depicted Ararat on its coat of arms.  When Turkey protested against this on the grounds that Ararat was part of their territory, the Kremlin retorted that although the Turkish symbol was the crescent, surely it did not mean that they laid claim to the moon.{{fact}} When Armenia regained its independence from the crumbling Soviet Union in [[1991]], it formally stated that it did not recognize the Treaty of Kars.
+The mountain was part of the Kars and Ardahan area occupied by [[Russia]] in [[1878]].  In [[1918]], in the aftermath of [[World War I]] and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the area became part of the first Republic of Armenia, but the republic was short lived.  With the invasion of the [[Red Army]], the area became part of the [[Soviet Union]]. Following the [[Treaty of Kars]] in [[1923]], the area was divided up between Turkey and the USSR, and the new border, which became internationally recognised, placed Ararat on the Turkish side. Even after this, most Armenians still claimed the mountain.  Armenia was joined together with [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] and [[Azerbaijan]] under the [[Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic]].  When the TSFSR was dissolved in [[1936]] and each of the three countries became separate Soviet Republics ([[Armenian SSR]], [[Azerbaijan SSR]], and [[Georgian SSR]]), Armenia depicted Ararat on its coat of arms.  When Turkey protested against this on the grounds that Ararat was part of their territory, the Kremlin refused to take action.  When Armenia regained its independence from the crumbling Soviet Union in [[1991]], it formally stated that it did not recognize the Treaty of Kars.
 ==Symbolism==
@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 ==Elevation==
 An elevation of 5,165 m for Mount Ararat is given by some authorities, but [[SRTM]] data shows that this is less accurate than the elevation given here (5,137 m).
+==People==
+{{unreferenced}}
+Historically the population around Mount Ararat was predominately [[Armenians|Armenian]], but nowadays it is mostly [[Kurdish people|Kurdish]]
 ==References in Art and Literature==