AR'ARAT (Airarat, in the old Armenian dialect; i.e., the plains of the Aryans), the ancient name of the fertile plateau through which flows the river Aras or Araxes. It occupies the centre of the mountainous region of Armenia, belonging partly to Turkey and partly to Russia. Notwithstanding the passage in Gen. Yin. 4, where it is said that the ark rested "on the mountains of Ararat," it has become common to give the name A., not to the entire range, but to the mountain called by the Armenians Massis Leusar—i.e., "mountain of the ark" (known among the Turks as Aghri-Dagh, "steep mountain;" and among the Persians as Koh-i-Ntili, "Noah's mountain"). It rises in two volcanic cones, known as the greater and the lesser Ararat; the former, which attains the height of 17,212 ft. above the level of the sea, is covered with perpetual snow. It is the highest elevation of western Asia; and since the war of 1827 it forms the point where the Russian, Turkish, and Persian territories meet. In 18-10, the form of the mountain was partially changed by a frightful and destructive earthquake. Previous to this period, at the base of the mountain, and at a point where a stream runs from a wild gorge, there stood the village of Arguri or Aguri. It was surrounded by gardens and orchards, and inhabited by upwards of 1000 inhabitants. In the ravine, 2300 ft.
above the village, stood the Armenian convent of St. James; and 1000 ft. higher still, a chapel dedicated to St. James. The beauty and mild air of the district made Anguri a favorite summer resort of the richer inhabitants of Erivan. It was to undergo a great change, however. On the 20th of June, 1840, dreadful shocks of earthquake were felt. Great masses of the mountain were thrown into the plain, the ravine was closed, the convent and chapel disappeared, and the village, and the gardens which surrounded it, were buried under rocks, earth, and ice, and with the inhabitants utterly destroyed. Tournefort made a partial ascent of the mountain in 1700; since then, ascents have been made in 1829 by prof. Parrot of Dorpat and his companions; in 1850 by col. Cliodzko, and a large party of Russians engaged in the trauscaucasian triangulation; in 1856 by major Robert Stuart; and in 1870 by Dr. G. Radde and Dr. G. Sievers, These naturalists, the former of whom is director of the museum at Tiflis, have carefully explored tho mountain and district in which it is situated. See their " Reisen in Armenschen Hock laud " (Petermann's .3fittheilungen for 1871); also the Transcaucasia and A. of Mr. Bryce, who made the ascent in 1876.