Mount Damavand

Mount Damavand
Highest point
Elevation	5,610 m (18,410 ft)

This article is about the volcano. For the city, see Damavand City.

Mount Damāvand (Template:PerB) also known as Donbavand, is a dormant volcano in Iran. Located in the middle Alborz Range, adjacent to Varārū, Sesang, Gol-e Zard and Mīānrūd, it is the highest point in both Iran and the wider Middle East. The mountain is located near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, in Āmol county, Māzandarān, 66 km (41 miles) northeast of Tehran. The nearest major settlement is the city of Rineh, located at the south of the mountain.

History

Mount Damāvand has its own special place in Iranian mythology and folklore. In Zoroastrian texts and mythology, the three-headed dragon Aži Dahāka was chained within Mount Damāvand, there to remain until the end of the world. In a later version of the same legend, the tyrant Zahhāk was also chained on some cave in mount Damāvand after being defeated by Kāveh and Fereydūn. Damāvand is also significant to the patriotic Iranian legend of Arash.

Damāvand was climbed by Iranians thousands of years ago, by shepherds and such.

Symbolism and mythology

Damāvand is the symbol of Iranian resistance against the foreign rule in Persian poetry and literature. The famous poem Damāvand by Mohammad Taqī Bahār is one of the many poetic creations about Damāvand.

The first verse of this poem is:

ای دیو سپید پای در بند
Ay dīve sepīde pāī dar band,
Oh white demon with feet in chains
ای گنبد گیتی ای دماوند
Ay gonbade gītī, ay Damāvand
Oh celestial dome, Oh Mount Damāvand

In Persian mythology, the mountain is where Zahhāk the Dragon King is slain by the hero Fereydūn. The mountain is said to hold magical powers in the Šahnameh.

Routes to the summit

There are at least 16 known routes [1] to the summit which have different difficulties. Some of them are very dangerous and need rock climbing. The most popular route is the Southern Route which has step stamps and also a camp midway at 4000 m (about 13,000 ft). The longest route is the Northeastern and it takes two whole days to reach the summit starting from downhill village of Nāndal and a night stay at Takht-e Fereydoun (elevation 4300 m - about 13,000 ft), a two-story shelter. The western route is famous for its sunset view. Sīmorgh shelter in this route at 4100 m (about 13,500 ft) is a newly constructed shelter with two stories. There is a frozen waterfall (Ābshār-e Yakhī), which often causes major avalanches.

Geographical location

Map of Māzandarān province showing the location of mount Damāvand in the south

Map of central Alborz	Peaks:	1 Alam-Kuh
−25 to 500 m (−82 to 1,640 ft)   500 to 1,500 m (1,600 to 4,900 ft)   1,500 to 2,500 m (4,900 to 8,200 ft)   2,500 to 3,500 m (8,200 to 11,500 ft)   3,500 to 4,500 m (11,500 to 14,800 ft)   4,500 to 5,610 m (14,760 to 18,410 ft)	2 Azad Kuh	3 Damavand
	4 Do Berar	5 Do Khaharan
	6 Ghal'eh Gardan	7 Gorg
	8 Kholeno	9 Mehr Chal
	10 Mishineh Marg	11 Naz
	12 Shah Alborz	13 Sialan
	14 Tochal	15 Varavašt
	Rivers:	0
	1 Alamut	2 Chalus
	3 Do Hezar	4 Haraz
	5 Jajrood	6 Karaj
	7 Kojoor	8 Lar
	9 Noor	10 Sardab
	11 Seh Hazar	12 Shahrood
	Cities:	1 Amol
	2 Chalus	3 Karaj
	Other:	D Dizin
	E Emamzadeh Hashem	K Kandovan Tunnel
	* Latyan Dam	** Lar Dam

Damāvand photos

• 
  Foot of Damāvand
• 
  Summit Crater of Mt. Damāvand from space.
• 
  Damāvand from space.
• 
  Damāvand Mountain.
• Damāvand in summer
  Damāvand in summer

External links

• Template:VNUM
• Mount Damavand on TierraWiki.org
• Encyclopedia Iranica: Damavand: Geography and Mythology by Ahmad Tafazzoli, p.627-631: Scanned PDFs or OCR text
• Damavand Mountaineering Guide
• Facts and Misc. Information
• Summit Post: Damavand
• Rahdoon Damavand