Mt Ararat is the tallest peak in Turkey. This snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone is located near the northeast corner of Turkey, 16 km west of the Iranian and 32 km south of the Armenian border. The name Ag(r? in Turkish is derived from Agir in Kurdish meaning fire referring to Ararat being a volcano. An elevation of 5,165 m for Mount Ararat is given by some authorities, but others, give 5,137 m (16,854 ft).Technically, Ararat is a stratovolcano, formed of lava flows and pyroclastic ejecta. A smaller (3,896 m) cone, "Little Ararat", rises from the same base, 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.Dr. Friedrich Parrot, with the help of Khachatur Abovian, was the first explorer in modern times to reach the summit of Mount Ararat, with the onset of Russian rule in 1829. He was followed in 1856 by a group of five explorers led by Major Robert Stuart. The Book of Genesis identifies the "mountains of Ararat" as the resting place of Noah's Ark after the Great Flood described there. 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) at about 4,724 meters (15,500 feet), some 2.2 kilometers west of the 5,137 meters (16,854 feet) summit, on the edge of what appears from the photographs to be a steep downward slope. It is claimed by a number of Biblical literalists that this anomaly is the remains of Noah's Ark (from the Old Testament), but this is not 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 309 meters (1,015 feet) long, as large as today's largest aircraft carriers and would dwarf the Titanic and German battleship Bismarck.In the summer, the weather in the area and on Mount Ararat 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 this area. Climbing up Mt Ararat 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 Ararat alone and without a guide. The climb is long, but there is a fairly easy route from the South in late summer for climbers who are familiar with the use of axe and crampons. There are two possible campsites on the mountain, and the glacier begins around 4,800 meters. For non-Turkish nationals special permission is required to climb Mt Ararat. It may take up to 2 months to get the permissions.For more information about Mt Ararat and Mt Ararat climbing tours visit the website at TERRA ANATOLIA - Trekking Tours in Turkey - Terra Anatolia is a local
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