Why Ararat is famous
Few mountains carry as much weight as Ararat. It is the highest point of Turkey and one of the most prominent peaks on Earth: its 3,611 m of prominence ranks around 48th in the world and third in West Asia, after Elbrus and Damavand. The Book of Genesis says the Ark came to rest on "the mountains of Ararat", and from about the 11th century Armenians identified this mountain as the landing place; the name has stuck ever since, and searches for the Ark continue. For Armenians it is Masis, the mountain of their history, seen every clear day from Yerevan across a border that has been closed since 1993.
The official Turkish name is Ağrı Dağı, usually translated as "mountain of pain". The Kurdish name, Çiyayê Agirî, means "fiery mountain", and the traditional Persian name is Kūh-e Nūḥ, "Noah's mountain". In Turkey the main top is also called the Atatürk summit and Little Ararat the İnönü summit.
Two cones and a shrinking ice cap
Ararat is a large stratovolcano covering some 1,100 km², about 45 km long and 30 km wide. Greater and Little Ararat are two separate cones 13 km apart, joined by the Serdarbulak lava plateau at about 2,600 m. Little Ararat (3,896 m; some sources give 3,925 m) is a neat steep cone; Greater Ararat is a broad dome whose top is buried under permanent ice.
The last activity was on 2 July 1840, when a steam-driven explosion and an earthquake of magnitude 7.4 struck the north-east slope. A landslide and debris flow destroyed the Armenian village of Akhuri, killing about 1,900 people there, as well as the monastery of St Hakob (St Jacob) above it; up to 10,000 people may have died in the region.
The ice cap is retreating. In the 1950s it fed 11 outlet glaciers and covered about 10 km²; satellite studies measured 8.0 km² in 1976 and 5.7 km² in 2011, a loss of 29% in 35 years. As the ice thins, the summit is getting lower: 5,137 m is the figure used by the USGS and topographic maps, older reference works and many Russian sources give 5,165 m, and recent estimates suggest it may now be as low as 5,125 m.
Where it is and how to get there
The mountain rises between the Aras and Murat rivers in Eastern Anatolia. The base for climbs is Doğubayazıt (historically Bayazit), a town about 25 km south-west of the mountain and 35 km from the Iranian border. The nearest airports are Iğdır (about 70 km north of the mountain) and Ağrı (about 100 km west), both with daily flights from Istanbul of a little over two hours. Climbing groups are normally collected from the airport or Doğubayazıt by their agency and driven to the trailhead.
Approaches from Armenia are not possible: the land border between Turkey and Armenia has been closed since April 1993, so the mountain that dominates Yerevan can only be reached through Turkey.
The south route
According to the Ağrı provincial governorship, Greater Ararat may be climbed only from the side within the Doğubayazıt district, by the route Doğubayazıt – Topçatan village – Eli. This is the classic south route, the only one in normal use today.
- Eli village to Camp 1 (about 3,200 m). Trekking starts at about 2,200–2,250 m. A path climbs the lower slopes for about 1,000 m of gain, roughly 4 hours; horses carry tents, food and bags.
- Acclimatisation day. Most programmes include a walk up to about 4,200 m and back down to sleep at Camp 1.
- Camp 1 to Camp 2 (about 4,200 m). Another 1,000 m on rocky, steeper ground, about 4–6 hours. Camp 2 is a tent camp on rocky ground.
- Summit day. Groups leave around 2 a.m. and reach the top around sunrise after roughly 6–8 hours. Above about 4,800 m the route is on the permanent ice cap, so the last few hundred metres are always on snow and ice at 30–45°. Crampons and an ice axe are required, and a rope for safety; the descent is long, and many groups go down to Camp 1 or below the same day.
Agencies sell programmes from 4 to 12 days; the common 5–7-day versions include one acclimatisation day and a spare day for weather. Technically the climb is easy, but it involves about 2,900 m of gain from Eli and a night above 4,000 m, and climbers who have done both often call it harder than Kilimanjaro.
Other sides and Little Ararat
Routes also exist on the north side from the Iğdır direction, starting near the small lake of Köp Gölü, and on the east. They involve more glacier travel, and the north route is described as technically harder. Under the current rules they are not open to ordinary climbing groups. Little Ararat is also subject to a permit and may only be climbed by its north-west route.
Permits, guides and costs
Ararat lies in the Ağrı Dağı National Park, created in 2004, in a sensitive border area. Climbing was banned in 1990 during the Kurdish conflict, partly reopened in 1998, and since the early 2000s foreigners have been allowed to climb under set conditions. As of 2025–2026 the rules for visitors are:
- a climbing permit is required for Greater and Little Ararat;
- climbers must go with a licensed Turkish guide, and independent climbs are not allowed;
- the simplest and usual way to get the permit is through a licensed Turkish travel agency, which applies with your passport details;
- allow time: operators advise starting about two months ahead, though agencies with experience can sometimes arrange it faster.
The permit fee is normally included in the package price, and packages cover guide, camps, meals, horses and transfers; prices vary by group size and operator. Climbing without a permit is illegal, and you cannot count on help if something goes wrong.
When to go and weather
The governorship names July, August and September as the climbing season; operators consider mid-July to early September the most settled time. In June the upper mountain still carries much snow, and from October storms and cold make the climb serious. Winter ascents have been made since 1970 but are a matter for experienced mountaineers. Conditions on one summer climb can range from heat on the lower slopes to well below freezing with strong wind on the summit dome, so pack for both. Afternoon clouds and thunderstorms are common, which is one more reason for the night start.
Water
There are no huts or shops on the mountain. At the camps water comes from streams fed by melting snow higher up; agencies collect it and provide boiled water and tea as part of the package. Late in the season these trickles shrink and may carry silt, so treat or boil anything you drink yourself. On summit day carry at least 1.5–2 litres in an insulated bottle or a flask with hot drinks, as hoses and bottles freeze above 4,500 m before dawn.
Mobile coverage and internet
Turkish mobile networks reach the south side, and operators report a signal even on the summit; expect gaps behind ridges and in hollows. There is no electricity on the mountain, so carry a power bank and keep phones warm. Do not count on Wi-Fi anywhere on the mountain. The emergency number in Turkey is 112; your guide and agency are the first link with rescue, which is another reason not to climb without a permit.
Altitude, dangers and safety
The main danger is altitude: the jump from about 2,200 m to over 5,100 m in a few days causes headaches, nausea and exhaustion, and an acclimatisation day at Camp 1 is strongly advised. On the ice cap a fall can turn into a long slide, and climbers have been seriously injured there; whiteouts and blizzards can trap people on the dome even in late summer, and in September 2006 two Italian climbers died of exposure on the descent. Rockfall and loose ground are a risk between the camps. Turn back if the weather breaks or your group is slow.
History of ascents
Local Armenian tradition held that no mortal could reach the summit. The first recorded ascent was made on 9 October 1829 (27 September in the old calendar) by the Baltic German naturalist Friedrich Parrot and the Armenian writer Khachatur Abovian, with two Russian soldiers, Aleksei Zdorovenko and Matvei Chalpanov, and two villagers from Akhuri, Hovhannes Aivazian and Murad Poghosian. They set out from the monastery of St Hakob at 1,943 m, reached the top at 3:15 p.m. and measured 5,250 m with a mercury barometer. Abovian dug a hole in the ice and set up a wooden cross facing north, and carried down a piece of summit ice in a bottle, considering the water holy. He later wrote Wounds of Armenia, the first novel in modern Armenian.
Other early ascents followed: Spassky-Avtonomov in 1834, Hermann Abich in 1845 and the British politician James Bryce, who climbed alone in 1876. The first winter ascent was made by the Turkish climber Bozkurt Ergör on 21 February 1970.
Noah's Ark
The Bible speaks of "the mountains of Ararat", which most scholars take to mean the land of ancient Urartu rather than one peak, and early translations rendered it as "the mountains of Armenia". Once the identification with this mountain took hold, it appeared on medieval world maps from the 11th century. Armenian tradition tells of St Jacob of Nisibis, who tried to climb the mountain to find the Ark, fell asleep near the top and woke to find a fragment of it left by an angel; a relic said to be that piece is kept at Etchmiadzin Cathedral. Since 1856 about 200 people from more than 20 countries have claimed to have seen the Ark on Ararat, but no scientific evidence has ever been found.
About 29 km south of the summit, near Doğubayazıt, the 164 m boat-shaped Durupınar site is promoted as the Ark's remains. Geologists regard it as a natural rock formation.
Ararat and Armenia
The northern slopes belonged to the Russian Empire from 1828 and passed to Turkey under the treaties of Moscow and Kars in 1921; in 1932 Turkey and Iran adjusted the border on Little Ararat. For Armenians the mountain remained the central national image: it appeared on the coins of the Artaxiad kings, on the coats of arms of the First Republic, Soviet Armenia and the present republic (readopted in 1992, with the Ark on the summit), and on the arms and flag of Yerevan. A popular anecdote has Soviet diplomats answering a Turkish complaint about the coat of arms by pointing out that Turkey's flag shows a crescent, although Turkey does not own the Moon. In a 2024 poll 86% of Armenians said they feel strong emotions when they see the mountain.
Around Doğubayazıt
Climbers often spend a spare day in town. On a high terrace just outside it stands the Ishak Pasha Palace, built from 1685 to 1784, which mixes Ottoman, Persian, Kurdish and Armenian styles and appeared on the 100-lira banknote. Russian readers know the town as Bayazet: in June 1877, during the Russo-Turkish War, a Russian garrison of about 1,500 men held its citadel through a 23-day siege, the subject of Valentin Pikul's novel Bayazet.
FAQ
How high is Mount Ararat? 5,137 m, the highest point of Turkey. Older sources give 5,165 m, and because the ice cap is thinning the true height may now be closer to 5,125 m. Little Ararat is 3,896 m.
How long does it take to climb Ararat? Usually 5–7 days from Doğubayazıt with an acclimatisation day: Eli village to Camp 1 (3,200 m), Camp 2 (4,200 m), then a summit day starting around 2 a.m. with 6–8 hours to the top. Agencies sell programmes from 4 to 12 days.
How difficult is the climb? Technically easy, but long and high, with about 2,900 m of gain. The last part above 4,800 m is on ice at 30–45°, so you need crampons, an ice axe and some experience using them.
Do I need a permit to climb Ararat? Yes. A government climbing permit and a licensed Turkish guide are mandatory, and the usual way is through a licensed Turkish agency; start about two months ahead. The fee is normally included in the package.
Can I climb Ararat from Armenia or from the north? No. The Turkey–Armenia border has been closed since 1993, and the permitted route starts on the south side near Doğubayazıt.
Is there water on the route? Yes, from snowmelt streams near the camps; agencies boil it for groups. Treat any water you collect yourself and carry 1.5–2 litres in insulated bottles on summit day.
Is there mobile coverage on Ararat? Turkish networks cover much of the south side and operators report a signal on the summit, but it is patchy and there is nowhere to charge phones. The emergency number is 112.
When is the best time to climb Ararat? July to September, and especially mid-July to early September.
Has Noah's Ark been found on Ararat? No. Hundreds of people have claimed sightings since the 19th century, but no scientific evidence of the Ark has been found.