Fodor's Expert Review Mt. Ararat

The region's most famous mountain is actually an extinct volcano covered with snow even in summer and soaring dramatically 16,850 feet above the arid plateau and dominating the landscape. According to Genesis, after the Great Flood, "the waters were dried up from off the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry." The survivors, as the story goes, had just landed on top of Mt. Ararat. Many other ancient sources—Chaldean, Babylonian, Chinese, Assyrian—also tell of an all-destroying flood and of one man who heroically escaped its consequences. The truth is that people have been searching for the actual ark since medieval times, and nothing has ever been found. The mountain can be easily viewed from Doğubeyazıt, although actually climbing it requires a permit that can only be obtained by a licensed agency and usually takes at least a few days to acquire. Be prepared for a lot of walking on gravel, and be forewarned that the summit is often shrouded in clouds. Local tour offices will take you on a day trip that includes a visit to a village at the base of the mountain, which is the closest you can get to Ararat without a permit.