Aragats

Mount Aragats
Highest point
Elevation	4,090 m (13,420 ft)
Prominence	2,143 m (7,031 ft)
Listing	Country high point Ultra
Coordinates	40°32′00″N 44°12′00″E / 40.53333°N 44.20000°E / 40.53333; 44.20000Coordinates: 40°32′00″N 44°12′00″E / 40.53333°N 44.20000°E / 40.53333; 44.20000
Geography
Mount Aragats Location in Armenia
Location	Aragatsotn Province and Shirak Province, Armenia
Parent range	Lesser Caucasus
Geology
Age of rock	Holocene
Mountain type	Stratovolcano
Last eruption	Unknown
Climbing
First ascent	July 1843 Khachatur Abovian and Moritz Wagner

Mount Aragats (Armenian: Արագած, pronounced [aɾaˈgats]; formerly Ալագյազ, Alagyaz; Turkish: Alagöz) is an isolated four-peaked volcano massif in Armenia. Its northern summit, at 4,090 m (13,420 ft) above sea level, is the highest point of the Lesser Caucasus and Armenia. It is also one of the highest points in the Armenian Highlands.

The Aragats massif is surrounded by Kasagh River on the east, Akhurian River on the west, Ararat plain on the south and Shirak plain on the north. The circumference of the massif is around 200 km (120 mi), and covers an area of 6,000 km² (2,300 sq mi) or around  ¹⁄₅ of Armenia's total area. 944 km² (364 sq mi) of the massif is located above 2,000 m (6,600 ft).

The name of the mountain is less often spelled Aragatz or Aragac. According to Armenian tradition, Aragats originates from the words Արա Ara + գահ gah, which translates to "Ara's throne". Ara refers to the legendary hero Ara the Beautiful. Aragats was mentioned by the early medieval historian Movses Khorenatsi. In his History of the Armenians Khorenatsi claims that the mountain is named after , the son of Hayk, the legendary father of the Armenian people. Aramaneak called his possessions "the foot of Aragats" (classical Armenian: ոտն Արագածոյ, otn Aragats'oy; modern: Aragatsotn). The modern Aragatsotn Province, dominated by the mountain, was formed in 1995.