MOUNT ARARAT
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More than 30,000 mountaineers are waiting to climb Mt. Ararat, according to the Turkish Mountaineering Federation. Is it a number common for other mountains? If not, what does it make so attractive? One may think about its relation to the Byblical history, the other may recall the difficulties of climbing. Or is there something else ? In my attempts to find the answer to what the mystery of Mount Ararat was I made some research that was aimed to understand the prophecy that I had been granted.
The Turkish name for Mount Ararat is Agri Dagi that means "mountain of pain". This name is rather new, and it could not be originated earlier than 11th century. For the most of people the mountain is known as Ararat. The prevaling interpretation of "Ararat" is the translation of it as "Ayr-ar-at" or its older form "Ayr-ayr-at", that is formed by the repetition of Armenian word "ayr" that means "man/human being" and suffix "at" that means "place, countrty", which together mean "place of men". Though there were numerous toponymics in the ancient world that were produced by ther repetition of one and the same root, I do not consider such explanation cogent enough. In speaking of the ethimology of "Ararat" one may not pass over in silence such toponymics as Aratta and Urartu. Th. Gamkrelidze and V. Ivanov consider that the name "Aratta" has an Indo-European origin and descends from the root meaning "Waters, River". H. Martirosyan considers that the root is of Indo-European origin and means "Sacred Laws". These explanations also do not seem to me final. So, I will give here my own interpretation.
I believe "Ararat" is made of Armenian root "arar", like in the words "arar-el" - to create, "arar-ich" - the Creator, "arar-ats" - creature, human being/creation, etc. and the above mentioned suffix "at". The same way such toponymics as the names of the following cities: Artashat that was built by King Artashes and means the place/residence/city/seat of Artashes, or Yervandashat that was built by King Yervand and means place/city/residence/seat of Yervand, were formed. To develop my supposition (that is to be proved, yet) "Ararat" was formed from "Ararich + at" and means "the Creator's place" or if going further "the Throne of the Creator" that is "The Throne of God".
Above is a picture of the monastery of Khor Virab and the Great Ararat on the back.
On July 16, 2000 I had an exciting dream that I understand as prophetic. Our Heavenly Father said: "The calamities will stop, when the people will come and pray together on Ararat". I live in Yerevan, Armenia. Mountain Ararat is in Turkey now at the distance of 16 km from the frontier. The frontier between Armenia and Turkey is going by Araks river, between the mountain and the monastery on the picture. It is extremely difficult, almost impossible, to get the special permit from Turkish officials to climb the mountain even for famous researchers and mountain-climbers. About 30,000 people are registered and wait for the permit. We may only guess, what great changes shall take place that will make it possible for anyone, who wishes, to go and pray on Ararat. People often ask me, why it is neccessary to pray just on the Great Ararat. I think there are several reasons for it. First, it is the holy mountain of many people, representing various nations and religions. Then, in my search for the answer I found an old map that was made in 1829 by the first scientific expedition on Ararat. The expedition was leaded by Friedrich Parrot, a professor of Tartu University, Estonia (former Russia). Armenian encyclopedist and writer Khachatur Abovian participated in this expedition and drow this map.
You may see St. Hakob (Jakob) Church and Chapel. There was an Armenian Monastery on the Great Ararat, where a fragment of Noah's Ark was kept. The Chapel was built on the very place, where St. Hakob found a piece of Noah's Ark, which is now preserved at the Museum of St. Echmiatsin Cathedral. There was a spring of water that cured the blind. You may also see Parrot Glacier near the top and Akori village at the foot, which was located, where Noah planted the first sapling ("akor") after the Flood. The monastery was also named "Akora-vank", as it was near the village. The monastery was actual until the beginning of the 20th century.
In case you have additional information, please contact me. I will be happy to receive your comments. To unite all the people of good will, who are fascinated by Mount Ararat like me, and make it is easier for them to find information and, may be, communicate, I created Mount Ararat Web Ring. Mount Ararat was the place, where the human beings had escaped and it is the place, where our civilization started from. It should be recovered as the place of worship, where the people of varioius religions and nations should glorify the Creator.
The years of 2001-2002 were announced the years of mountains.
Mt. Fuji Declaration Today, as one day in the International Year of Mountain 2002, we gathered and conducted a talk here at Mt. Fuji, the highest peak in Japan. The respect and the sense of awe for Mt. Fuji for its height, beauty and strength by the Japanese people have deepened from time immemorial. Japan is "a mountain country" with mountains and forests making up 70 % of its land. Water sprung from mountains with their forests is the origin of life and has grown rice, the basic food for the Japanese. Forests covering mountains not only store the water but produce the fresh air. For the Japanese, mountains have been gods as well. No matter where they lived,the Japanese have been all "a people of mountains". Nevertheless, we gradually left the appreciation for mountains behind. In particular, for the last half-century when economic development was pursued, destruction and pollution of mountains accelerated rapidly. Now we have realized the need to come face-to-face with mountains and forests, more consciously, and to take the necessary time to reflect deeply on the importance and meaning of mountains. Gathering at Mt. Fuji, today we declare: We learn the beauty and power of mountains with intellectual curiosity. We make the importance of mountains clear scientifically and endeavor not to destroy their environments. We meet mountains in the world with the same awe and love as for the Japanese mountains. We respect the life and the culture of those who live with mountains, and protect mountain nature as the habitats of millions of living species. Moreover, to refresh such determination every year, we propose here to establish the "Mountain Day" in Japan. July 6, 2002 Mt. Fuji Eco-Forum Japanese Committee of International Year of Mountains
