In prehistoric times the volcano eruption, accompanied by an explosion, destroyed the top of the mountain. As a result the four picks rise over the crater as petals of a giant flower. The crater has an awkward shape of 2x1.5 kilometers and is around 400 meters deep. Aragats’ highest point is the Northern pick, which is 4,094 meters above the sea level. The Western, Eastern and Southern picks are 4,007m, 3,916m and 3,879m correspondingly.
The top zone of Aragats preserves the traits of ancient glaciation. Moraines, kars, spots of everlasting snow on glaciers, which have a total area of 5 square kilometers, and high mountain lakes can be found here. The biggest one is Qari Lake, situated at 3,207 meters above the sea level and having 1,150 meters in circumference. Thick top-rocks of the middle zone contain a rich spectrum of tuff lavas – crimson-violet, pink, black, yellowish, etc. On the eastern and north-eastern slopes one can find basalt outcrops. Lava coverings mould terraces with footsteps of about 20 meters high.
Volcanic activity and many ages of water, sun and wind work formed deep gorges on the slopes; the deepest ones are about 500 meters deep.
Lots of big and small rivers spring from Aragats. In spring and summer Aragats’ crater becomes animated with impetuous waters of melted snow from the picks. Many waterfalls dash down from the slopes of the crater and flow together into one stream. Green carpet of alpine growth covers the mountain from late summer till early fall. Alpine landscape of Aragats with its wide variety of flowers, lots of springs and splendid mountain air, is very beautiful. The Arax valley panorama with a biblical Mount Ararat (Masis in Armenian) on the skyline is also very beautiful.
The national legend tells us that some time in the past Masis and Aragats were loving sisters. But once they argued about who is higher, slenderer and more beautiful. They argued for a long time and eventually cursed each other. Since that time until now a man’s foot can not step on Masis’ pick, and there is a lake of tears on Aragats.
There is one more national legend connected with this amazing mountain. Saint Grigor Lusavorich (Grigor the Enlightener) climbed to Aragats pick to pray, and an eternal icon-lamp hanging from the sky was burning for him. The legend says that this lamp is still burning at night, but it can be seen only by devoted people.
Up to 3,000 meters Aragats was inhabited and developed by people since the prehistoric times. Cultural memorials of different epochs, stone statues, fortresses, irrigation systems of pre-Urartian period remain on the mountain sides. Some of them are still not explored. The Armenian highland (the territory of present Armenia is only 1/10 of the Armenian highland) is rich in rock paintings of an ancient man, which are called petroglyphs. There are around 2,000 petroglyphs on the Aragats slopes.
A beautiful landscape of foothills and mountain belts and numerous cultural memorials on the mountain’s sides make Aragats one of the most interesting picks, attractive for travelers and climbers. The easiest pick is the Southern one. Every person in a good physical state can climb it. The highest and hardest pick is the Northern one. To conquer it one must have a climbing equipment and experience.
People living on Aragats say that it is a peculiar, energetic mountain. And in reality, Aragats is thrilling and warm. Although the climate here is changeable, it is hot in summer and frost in winter, the mountain is surprisingly fertile. Even on the altitude of as high as 2,000 meters you can find almost everything: numerous kinds of grapes, apples, plums, pears, peaches, cherries, as well as walnuts and mulberries. But the most important thing is that big Armenian apricots grow here – the most delicious apricots in the world!
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