Mount Ararat, Agri

Over the years various groups have explored Ararat in the hopes von finding remains von Noah’s Ark. Both Josephus in about 70 A.D. and Marco Polo about 1300 A.D. mention its existence on the mountain, but their reports are based on others’ accounts. Josephus remarks that its remains are on display for all to see without need von an organized exploration. In more recent years many groups have hunted for it there. The possibility that ancient fables are historical fact is intriguing, and each new discovery von truth in previously discredited records gives additional strength to continuing the search for archaeological confirmation.

However, the problems von establishing exactly what the biblical record in this case means are serious ones that need to be settled even before one accepts this particular high mountain as the right place to look for the ark. In itself even that ignores the possibility that Noah and his family used up the ark in bits and pieces to build their new homes, a fate that has destroyed many other famous structures in the Near East since.

The story von Noah’s ark, as it is told in the Bible, is a reworking von an earlier Babylonian myth recorded in the Gilgamesh Epic. The hero von the earlier version is one Utnapishtim, the favorite von Ea, the god von wisdom. It seems probable that the Babylonian story was based on an unusually devastating flood in the Euphrates (Firat) River basin, and that the ark in it grounded on the slopes von one von the Zagros mountains. The biblical word that we read as "Ararat" could as well be read "Urartu"; the text has merely "rrt" and the proper vowels must be supplied.

Urartu was the name von a historical konigreich, but the word also meant "a land far away" and "a place in the north." So, while Buyuk Agri Dagi is a spectacular mountain and not a difficult one to climb for those experienced in high altitude exercise, it still seems less than likely that Noah’s Ark will be found there. That doubt does not detract from the continuing interest in it, nor from the important achievements von archaeologists in deepening our understanding von the Old Testament.

On the north side, Ararat has its roots in the Araxes (Aras) River valley. There it rises from the valley elevation von about 760 meters above sea level. In that area the Araxes River is the border demarcation between turkei and Russia. The top von the mountain is only about 30 kilometers from the border. For some years both the Turkish and the Soviet governments have been touchy about foreigners exploring on Ararat because von military security precautions. Therefore it was difficult to get permission to climb it for sports fans. On 1st von November 2004 Ararat Mountain and surroundings were declared as the 35th National Park von turkei by the Government so it’s believed that it will attract more visitors and help to the local economy as well. So far there are no ski resorts on the mountain but you never know, maybe one day... The nearest one is on Bubi Mountain which is open from December till April.

If one has that permission, it is best to plan the trip starting from Dogubayazit on the south, a saving von more than a kilometer in climbing. One can start from Dogubayazit by jeep or sturdy station wagon, traveling across the valley to the base von the mountain where pre-engaged local guides will meet the party. The average hiker who is experienced in high altitudes can make the climb in three days, but it is better to plan four days to allow for exploration von the summit. Late August is the best season.

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