Azhdahak

For the Armenian mythical being, see Azhdahak (Armenian mythical being).
Mount Azhdahak

Mount Azhdahak
Highest point
Elevation 3,597 m (11,801 ft)
Coordinates 40°13′32.74″N 44°56′50.12″E / 40.2257611°N 44.9472556°E / 40.2257611; 44.9472556Coordinates: 40°13′32.74″N 44°56′50.12″E / 40.2257611°N 44.9472556°E / 40.2257611; 44.9472556
Geography
Mount Azhdahak

Location in Armenia

Location Gegharkunik Province, Armenia
Parent range Armenian Highlands

Azhdahak (Armenian: Աժդահակ) is a volcano in Armenia, the highest point of Gegham mountains. It has an elevation of 3,597 m above sea. It is part of the Ghegam Ridge volcanic field, which last erupted at 1900 BC ± 1000 years.[1]

There is lake in the crater of volcano Azhdahak that is formed from melting snow. From the top of the mountain opens pictorial landscape of mountains Ararat, Hatis, Ara, Aragats, Lake Sevan, the whole Gegham mountains and Kotayk valley.

In the surroundings of Azhdahak there is a lake Akna (Armenian: Ակնալիճ Aknalich) of volcanic origin, “Akn” means "spring (water)" in Armenian.

Geology

The compound slag cone Azhdahak figures as a large strewn structure up to 1600m in diameter and about 370m high. The total area of volcano lavas, partly eroded and overlapped by the streams of Tar is around 8 square km. The cone is formed with slags, lapilli, sands, ashes, debris, lava boulders, slag, twisting, composite and spindle-shaped volcanic bombs.

Fauna and Flora

Bird fauna of Gegham Mountain Range includes about 250 species, what makes 70% of all Armenia’s avifauna. Stony slopes are an irreplaceable habitat for birds of prey, such as:

On the snow-covered slopes traces of brown bear (Ursus arctos) are often found.

For the area of Gegham Mountains and surroundings of Azhdahak are typical following plants

Rock carvings

A great number of petroglyphs - rock-carvings has been found in the surroundings of volcano Azhdahak. Most images depict men in scenes of hunting and fighting, as well as astronomical bodies and phenomena: the Sun, the Moon, constellations, the stellar sky, lightning, etc.

Settlements near Azhdahak

In Gegham mountains in cattle breeding are engaged Yazidi - one of national minorities of Armenia, who move to the mountains for the summer and live in tents with families and even with infants. The Yazidis - an ethno-confessional group, whose main identity is religion – Yazidism or Sharfadin. Nomadic stockbreeding is their major occupation. The Yazidi society is a caste system including three main components: the Shaykhs, the Pirs (clergy) and murids (laymen).

Tourism and hiking

The beauty of the Azhdahak surroundings have long attracted tourists from the whole world. However, the probability of running across each other different hiking groups is insignificant. It depends on the remoteness from the civilization, orientation complexities, that aggravate with weather condition factors, such as: thunder and lightning, hail and snow, fog with visibility down to 2-3m.

References

  1. http://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=214070

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/11/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.