4 / 5 - 3 reviews
How to get there
6 hours by plane from Istanbul
When to go
From May to October
Minimum stay
Half a day
Mount Ararat (Turkey)
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Alexander Mkhitaryan
Practical information about Mount Ararat
Reviews of Mount Ararat
The symbol of a country which recalls the riches of its history and the bitterness of its defeats.
My suggestion:
If you want to see Mount Ararat then go to Khor Virap on a clear day. The view is magnificent.
Summary:
Despite belonging to Turkey since the Armenian genocide, Mount Ararat remains a major symbol for Armenia and for the Judeo-Christian religions. Because this mountain is supposed to be where Noah's Ark finished up after the end of the flood. It's a very sensitive area and tourists are not allowed there, and especially not if they are coming from Armenia. That doesn't stop Armenians putting an image of Mount Ararat on lots of local products. During my stay in Armenia, I met a lot of people who were passionate about reconquering this mythical mountain.
The best place to see Mount Ararat from Armenia is at Khor Virap, an old but still functioning monastery to the south of Yerevan. -
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Alexander Mkhitaryan
The Ararat volcano, a bald mountain that is eternally snow capped, is the highest point in the country and one of its emblematic sites.
My suggestion:
The best base camps for exploring the region areDogubeyazit or Igdir, which have superb views of the snowy summit.
Summary:
Mount Ararat, situated in the east of Turkey, reigning majestically from its 5,165 meter height, was until recently closed to tourists. It was because of political instability and the actions of the Kurdish independence fighters in the region. This mountain is the symbol of Turkey, Kurdistan and... of Armenia, which has it on their official coat of arms.
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@flickr cc Martijn.Munneke
On the Turkish frontier, the town of Ararat has no interest for tourists, unless you want to see the impact of heavy industry on the environment.
My suggestion:
I recommend you get out of town as quickly as possible!
Summary:
I'm just going to pass rapidly over Ararat and I recommend you don't stay there longer than it takes you to walk across town during your trip to Armenia. Unfortunately, Ararat is not very interesting. The town has an industrial centre and most people make a living from the cement factory or gold mine, both of which unfortunately have an enormous impact on the surrounding environment.
Ararat, of course, has the same name as Mount Ararat, which is on the other side of the frontier, in Turkey. It has a height of 5,137 metres, making it the highest mountain in Turkey. This impressive volcano with its eternally snow-capped peak is only a few kilometres from the town of Ararat and can be easily seen. Nevertheless, to get to it you would have to make a journey of several hundred kilometres, going through Georgia, because the frontier between Armenia and Turkey is closed.
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flickr cc Arthur Chapman
196 travellers' photos
