EREVAN & ARMENIA
ARARAT, THE MAJESTIC MOUNT
If only one symbol were to be retained to tell the story of Armenia, it would perhaps be this one. Since ancient times, it has been deeply rooted in the memory, the myths of the region, and in the hearts of the Armenian people. From its highest peak - Greater Ararat - at 5,165m, and from Lesser Ararat, at 3,896m, it is omnipresent in the country's culture and its arts, and stands proudly on the coat of arms of the Armenian coat of arms.
THE PILLAR OF ARMENIAN CULTURE
MOUNT ARARAT & THE LEGEND OF NOAH'S ARK
One of the most exceptional legends surrounding it dates back to the biblical stories, and more specifically to that of the Flood, which makes it the central point of renewal of humanity, after the divine wrath had struck. For forty days and nights, the flood fell on earth; when calm returned, it was at the foot of Mount Ararat that Noah's Ark landed, in order to initiate the reconciliation of men with life. From here also stems the Armenian wine tradition, rooted in this cultural heritage: Noah is said to have planted, at the foot of the mountain, the first vine of this new day for humanity.
Several archaeological expeditions then attempted to verify these writings; although James Bryce claimed in 1876 to have discovered a fragment of wood from the ark, no study has been able to verify that Mount Ararat was truly the blessed territory described. This did not prevent its elevation to the rank of sacred place for the Armenian people, and unifier of ethnic groups and religions, which all share the Flood in their stories.