Mount Aragats

Mountain Aragats is a massif in the western part of Armenia, between Ararat and Shirak valleys, Akhuryan and Kasagh rivers. It is a regular cone with jagged summits and slightly oblique slopes. Aragats is the highest mountain of Armenia and the fourth highest one in the Armenian Highland. Historians associate the origin of the name with an Armenian god Ara. The name is decoded as “Ara’s throne” or “the throne of Ara”.

Legends of the Mountain Aragats

According to legend, the name of mountain Aragats is connected with an Armenian king Ara the Beautiful and his Imperial Throne. Assyrian queen Semiramis declared war on Armenia, and after the death of king Ara, his soldiers had only one night to save people and hide one of the most valuable things for Armenia – king’s Imperial Throne. For a long time they couldn’t find a secure place for the throne, until they finally decided to hide it somewhere very high and away from Mount Ararat, because the enemies would most likely be looking for it there. That place was located on cold snowy slopes across from Ararat. Enemies never found the throne.

Masis and Aragats

Once Masis and Aragats were loving sisters. One day they had a fight and one of them said to another, “I am better and higher than you.” The other one replied, “I am better, bigger and higher than you.” Mount Maratuk came to pacify the sisters but could not handle the situation and ended up cursing the sisters to be separated and never meet again. Masis in turn curses Aragats to be filled with sorrow and tears all year round. Aragats curses Masis as well, so that no man would ever climb its peak. Their curses came to pass and thus the tears of Aragats formed a lake on its slopes and Masis became abandoned.
Despite the curse of the mountain Aragats many people have ascended Mount Masis, and will continue to do so.

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The highest summit of Armenia

As we noted earlier mountain Aragats is the highest summit of RA and the fourth highest one in the Armenian Highland. It has four main peaks – Northern – 4090.1 meters, which is the highest one, Western – 3995.3 meters, Eastern – 3908.2 meters and Southern – 3887.8 meters.

Between the rocky peaks of Aragats, a huge crater is situated, with the depth of 350 m and a width of 3 km. Observations showed the presence of firm fields and snowfields on the sides of the crated cirque, as well as moraines and glaciers inside the crater. The top has strictly fragmented alpine-type relief.

The highways of Yerevan-Talin-Gyumri, Yerevan-Aparan-Spitak pass by the slopes of Aragats.

Furthermore, there are numerous cold water tributaries initiating from the volcanic stones of the mountain. Between the glacial debris and moraine dams, a lot of picturesque lakes were formed: Kari, Amberd, Umroy, Lessing, etc.

7 Reasons to Climb Mount Aragats

Cultural monuments of Aragats

The mountain is noted for its magnificent cultural heritage including dozens of testimonies and artifacts belonging to the Paleolithic era, ancient irrigation networks, huge vishaps (dragon stones) established next to several water sources and incredible samples of Medieval era architecture – Amberd fortress, Byurakan observatory, etc.

The nature in Aragats is remarkably beautiful and attracts tourists. On the southeastern slope of the mountain Byurakan Observatory is located, on the sub-summit plateau a meteorological station for Cosmic Ray Explosion Studies lies, and in the Mantash valley there is a huge water reservoir.

Mountain Aragats in Art

Aragats is the favourite and most popular mountain of Armenia. That is why hundreds of mountain lovers visit Armenia for climbing mount Aragats every year. A lot of historians, poets, painters, composers, such as Gh. Alishan, Komitas, H. Tumanyan, Charents, M. Saryan, magnified Aragats in their works.

 

Photographers: Tigran Shahbazyan and Zorik Galstyan

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