Mount Ararat

Armenia is a land filled with exquisite mountains.  But for generations, Mount Ararat has stood apart from all others.  At a height of 16,900 feet, it is one of the highest mountains in the region.  It is a hallowed part of the life of all Armenians.  Mount Ararat rises with two conic peaks on the south of the plain named Ararat.  The greater peak is called Great Massis, while the lesser is called Sis or Lesser Massis.

The Bible identifies Mount Ararat as the final resting spot of Noah's Ark.  From Genesis 8:4: "The ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat."

After the flood, Noah set his first table on Mount Ararat and offered a sacrifice to God.  It was here that God made his first covenant with man, and as a sign of it, a rainbow appeared in the sky.

With the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Armenian nation, Ararat gained increased importance.  King Drtad ordered the sanctuary of St. Hripsime be built with stones brought from Mount Ararat.