Mount Ararat, the mountain of Noah

    At an altitude of 5,137 meters, Mount Ararat rises majestically in the heart of Eastern Anatolia. A dormant volcano and universal symbol, it has been regarded for millennia as the place where Noah’s Ark came to rest after the Flood. Between biblical myth, political frontier, and wild beauty, it captivates both pilgrims and mountaineers.

    Altitude
    5137 m
    Localisation
    39.715° N / 44.301° E
    Fuji
    A summit between sky and legend
    Mount Ararat, with its regular cone and eternal snows, dominates the Ararat plain and the city of Iğdır. Composed of twin volcanoes — Greater Ararat (5,137 m) and Lesser Ararat (3,896 m) — it was for centuries a forbidden mountain. Even today, climbing it requires a special permit from the Turkish government, as it is located near the Armenian border. A place of legends and archaeological controversies, it symbolizes faith, memory, and the quest for origins.
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    Ancient times

    Birth of the biblical myth

    According to Genesis, Noah’s Ark is said to have landed on the slopes of Ararat after the Flood.

    1829

    First documented ascent

    By Friedrich Parrot and Khachatur Abovian, from the city of Akhuryan.

    1950

    Forbidden mountain

    Closed for several decades due to military tensions in the border region.

    1980

    Archaeological rediscovery

    Wood fragments and fossilized structures feed the legend of the Ark.

    2001

    Controlled reopening to expeditions

    Mountaineers can climb the mountain again under local supervision.

    2010

    Controversial archaeological study

    A Sino-Turkish team announces the discovery of potential Ark remains, without scientific validation.

    5,137 m

    Elevation of the main summit

    3,896 m

    Lesser Ararat

    1829

    First modern ascent

    35 km

    Distance to the Armenian border

    The Ark under the Ice
    Mont Ararat

    Since the 19th century, explorers have claimed to have seen wooden structures in the glaciers on the northern slope. These “evidences” continue to fuel debates among archaeologists, believers, and skeptics.

    The Forbidden Ascent
    Norton Peak - Mont Ararat

    During the Cold War, Ararat was closed to all ascents, considered a strategic zone. Armenian guides watched it from a distance, from Yerevan, unable to set foot on its snows.

    The neighbors of Mount Ararat

    Entre Caucase et hautes terres d’Asie occidentale 

    Universal symbol of renewal, Mount Ararat transcends myth.
    For Norton Peak, it evokes perseverance in the face of mystery, the quest for authenticity, and attachment to what shapes our origins.
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    From Doğubayazıt (Turkey)
    Access to Greater Ararat is via the southern slope, through camps at 3,200 m and 4,200 m. The ascent takes four to five days, depending on conditions and permits.
    “On Ararat, the world stopped to be reborn.”
    Armenian proverb
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