Noah's Mountain

Mt. Ararat, morning shot

Mt. Ararat at dusk

On my 26th day in Yerevan, the hazy valley cleared and I could finally see Mt. Ararat.  It's two peaks dominated the skyline and took my breath away.  I felt a connection to the beautiful mountain.  The mountain looms over Yerevan and has a sobering presence, like a loving but scrupulous father.   Even when it disappears from sight, you feel its gravity and you know it's there, like a father's admonition weighs on the conscious of a child.


Mt. Ararat is in Turkey and rises close to the borders of Armenia, Iran, and the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan.  According to the book of Genesis, Noah's ark came to rest on Mt. Ararat. 


Mt. Ararat is the national symbol of Armenia, and it has appeared on its coat of arms since the first modern Armenian Republic was established in 1917, shortly after the Russian Revolution.

Armenia's current Coat of Arms (notice Noah's Ark)

Armenia's Coat of Arms, 1936-1991

Mt. Ararat is a compelling and stunning facet of life here.  And it has captured my imagination like it has done to everyone that experiences it.