Mount Ararat Climb is a 8 days – 7 night trekking and climbing in East of Turkey. The southern route spreads the climb over three days up and one day down, using two campsites at 3,200m and 4,200 metres, and mules to carry supplies to the first camp. It starts from Eliköyü, an abandoned village in the foothills and sticks to a ridge for much of the way, thus avoiding the Ulker glacier which careers down the face into deep and jumbled gorges below. The path, though rocky, is clearly marked. Above 5000m are permanent icefields, so crampons, ice axes and ropes are required. The summit is reached via a long ridge and is no more than a rounded hump marked by cairns.

Ağrı (Mt. Ararat)

Rising at the borders of Turkey and Iran, Mount Agri, an inactive volcano capped year round with ice and snow, rises to 5137 meters. The Old Testament records that it was on this mountain that Noah’s Ark came to rest after the great flood. Southwest of the mountain, the Little Mount Agri (Ararat) reaches up to 3896 meters; the Serdarbulak lava plateau (2600 m) stretches out between the two pinnacles. Climbing the spectacular Agri is a challenging and rewarding experience.

The top of Ararat is covered with a large cap glacier and many valley glaciers run from the top. The world’s attention has been drawn have due to Noah’s history. In the south near a village there is a long fossil which is supposed to belong to Noah’s Ark because of similarity, according to some archeologists studying this subject.

In the summer, the weather in the area and on Mount Agri is sunny, warm and dry. However, in the winter and spring, cold and harsh conditions prevail, and mountain climbers occasionally face blizzards and turbulent weather. July, August, and September are the months when most world mountain climbers come to the area. Climbing up Agri is most enjoyable during this period. However, despite the usual sunny and clear weather at that time of year, high altitude mountain weather swirls around above 3000 meters. The southern side of the mountain offers the easiest and safest climb to the summit. With this route one has access to the best route communication and transportation facilities and it is safe. It is not recommended to climb Mount Agri alone and without a guide.

Regional Attractions: The area surrounding Agri has retained its natural beauty. The local population still engages in traditional life styles. In the summer months the villagers move to the yayla, the summer pastures, to find fresh grazing for their herds of sheep, goats, cattle and horses. Women continue to weave carpets and kilims in time _ honored designs; Village of Ortulu is particularly renowned as a center of beautiful handicrafts. Other nearby tourist attractions includes the Ishakpasha Palace, a fabulous 18th century castle of a local potentate, and the meteor hole near the Iranian border.

Do not miss the spectacular site of the Ishak Pasha Palace, only 6 km from Dogubayazit. Ishak Pasha, Ottoman governor of the province, constructed the palace in the 17th century with a mixture of architectural styles. Nearby you can see a bas-relief of an Urartian king, and a rock tomb from the ninth century B.C. Near Dogubayazit, Turkey’s most scenic natural monument, Mount Agri rises to a height of 5,137 meters. To see the place where it is believed that Noah’s Ark came aground, go to Uzengili Village, 25 km east of Dogubayazit. Be sure to try the local dessert (Actually it is very widely popular all around Turkey) Asure (Noah’s Pudding), believed to have first been made by Noah’s wife from the last bits of food in the ark.

Ararat is the largest and highest (16,940 feet, 5,165 m) volcano in Turkey. Ararat is located at 39.7N, 44.3E. In this image, north is to the lower left. The border with Armenia is 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the summit and is roughly along the left edge of the image. Ararat has not erupted in historic time. The most recent eruption was probably in the last 10,000 years. The volcano is thought to be the resting place of Noah’s ark. The observation of vessel-shaped features in aerial photographs of Ararat caused a stir in the late 1950s. Expeditions found the features to be landslides and lava flows.

The cause of volcanism in eastern Turkey has not been established. However, the region lacks moderate and deep earthquake activity common to most subduction zones. An alternative model proposes renewed subduction of continental lithosphere A third model proposes that volcanism is related to shear along the contact of the two plates.

Mount Ararat lies in the far east of Turkey close to the borders with Iran, Iraq and Armenia. Kachkar mountains, which are still accessible to visitors and in many ways more attractive to mountain walkers since they comprise a complete range of mountains, rising to 3932m, rather than the isolated volcanic cone of Ararat. Ararat is the great prize however for mountain collectors, not only because it is the highest summit in Turkey but also for its historical significance.

(Armenian Masis; Turkish Agri Dagi; Persian Koh-i-Nuh), mountain, extreme eastern Turkey, near the border with Armenia and Iran. Except on the northwest, where a spur nearly 2134 m (7000 ft) high merges with a long ridge, the mountain is completely isolated, being surrounded on all other sides by elevated plains ranging from about 760 to 1370 m (about 2500 to 4500 ft) above sea level. From an elevation of about 2680 m (about 8800 ft) Ararat rises in two peaks, known as Great Ararat (5122 m/16,804 ft) and Little Ararat (3914 m/12,840 ft). Above the 4267-m (14,000-ft) level, Great Ararat is perpetually covered with snow. Vegetation, consisting for the most part of grasses, is chiefly confined to the area between about 1525 and 3355 m (about 5000 and 11,000 ft). According to the Old Testament (see Genesis 8:4), Noah’s ark landed on the “mountains of Ararat” after the deluge. On July 2, 1840, great masses of the mountain were torn loose by a violent earthquake. The resulting avalanche buried a village and the St. Jacob’s Monastery on its lower slopes producing the Ahora Gorge.