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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.
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, 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 Armenian Monastery on the Great Ararat, where a fragment of Noah's Ark was kept. The Chapel was built on the place, where St. Hakob found a piece of Noah's Ark, which is now in St. Echmiatsin Cathedral Museum. 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. |
