Mount Artos
Mount Artos is a beautiful and unique natural landmark in eastern Turkey. Artos Mountain is part of the Southeastern Taurus Mountains. Artos Mountain is also known as Tent Mountain among the rings due to its tent-like appearance. Artos Mountain, with its high altitude, has one of the most beautiful views around. Mount Artos is also home to diverse flora and fauna and is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. Artos has a diverse animal pattern. The mountain is rich in butterfly varieties and wild animals. However, irregular hunting in Artos Mountain has disturbed the natural balance a little. Hiking and trekking are popular activities in the area, and visitors can enjoy exploring the mountain’s trails and enjoying the magnificent views from the summit. Besides its natural beauty, Mount Artos has cultural significance and there are many historical sites and landmarks in the area, including ancient ruins and historic churches. In general, Mount Artos is a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to Van and its surroundings.
Where is Artos Mountain?
Artos Mountain is located in eastern Turkey, south of Lake Van. Artos Mountain is within the provincial borders of Van. You can View Google Map for Artos
In which city is Mount Artos?
Artos Mountain is in the Gevaş district of Van.
How High is Artos ?
The height of Artos Mountain is 3550 meters.
Is Mount Artos a Volcano?
Mount Artos is an extinct volcano.
How Was Mount Artos Formed?
Artos Mountain rises on a foundation consisting of crystalline schists belonging to the Paleozoic (First) Period (570-225 million years ago). Artos Mountain generally consists of a mixture of schist and limestone. It was formed between the end of the Tertiary period and the Quaternary period along with the Van Lake of Artos Mountain. It was formed by epigonic movements about 2.5 million years ago. While Artos Mountain was rising during its formation, valleys were formed around it.
Legend of Mount Artos
Artos Mountain is mentioned in an Armenian legend. According to the Armenian legend, Hz. Prophet Noah passed over the summits of many mountains during his journey during the flood. Two of these mountains are Artos Mountain in the Gevaş district of Van province and Arnos Mountain in the Çatak district.
According to an Armenian legend; Artos and Arnos mountains were believed to be gigantic brothers. Brothers Artos and Arnos used to fasten their belts and greet each other after waking up every morning. As time goes on, brothers Artos and Arnos grow old, unable to get up early one morning. Brothers Artos and Arnos forget to fasten their belts and only greet each other. God sees this and gets very angry. Later, Artos and Arnos decide to punish the brothers. God’s punishment is to turn these brothers into mountains. The belts of Artos and Arnos brothers return to green areas. The brothers’ tears flow, creating crystal-clear springs of water. According to the legend, Artos and Arnos were two brothers and turned into two mountains.
According to another legend, Prophet Noah sees many mountains until he reaches Mount Ararat, which is the ideal mountain to escape from the flood. When his ship reached Mount Artos, Prophet Noah burst into tears at the beauty of the mountain. Later, that mountain is called Artos, meaning “tear”.
Where does the name of Mount Artos come from?
There are some discourses about where the name of Mount Artos came from. The first is that it comes from the word “artos”, which means “tear” in the legend of Prophet Noah. Another discourse is that it is an Armenian male name.
Which movie was shot on Artos?
The movie “Vizyontele” was shot by the famous Turkish director and actor Yılmaz Erdoğan on Mount Artos. The film is about the meeting of the village people with television. The protagonist places a transmitter on Mount Artos, for this he goes up to the summit of Mount Artos.
How to Get to Artos ?
To reach Artos mountain, you need to go to the Gevaş district of Van. It can be reached by car from Istanbul in an average of 18 hours. Or you can go to Van Ferit Melen airport by plane, and from there you can reach Gevaş district. After going to Gevaş, it is possible to reach Artos Mountain by minibus. The minibus passes near Artos mountain.
In order to go to Artos Mountain, first of all, it is necessary to go to the province of Van, where Artos Mountain is located. You can choose various ways to go to Van.
Using the airline; You can find flight tickets to Van from most places in Turkey. You can come to the city where Artos Mountain is located by using Van Ferit Melen Airport. Then you go to Gevaş district and come to the region where Artos Mountain is located. From Gevaş, you can approach Artos Mountain by minibus, taxi or car rental methods.
Using the highway; You can come to the region by renting a car or by your own vehicle. Van is one of the most touristic cities in the eastern region of Turkey. So you can easily visit every point in the city.
What are the activities that can be done on Artos ?
Visitors to Artos Mountain can do various activities. The most common activities on Mount Artos are mountaineering, skiing, hiking and trekking, and photography.
The high altitude of Artos Mountain causes the region to be cold and rainy. For this reason, it has a challenging and interesting track for skiing activities.
Mountaineering activities are also very popular in Artos Mountain. Mountaineers classify the mountains they will climb according to the degree of difficulty. Artos Mountain is one of the mountains in the challenging group.
Mountaineering Activities on Artos Mountain
Artos Mountain is a mountain with a challenging track for mountaineering activities. In addition to the 3550-meter-high peak of Artos Mountain, the harsh weather conditions make mountaineering activities difficult. Climbing Artos Mountain takes about 6-7 hours using the classical route. Usually, the camp is set up when Artos Mountain is around 2000 meters high.
Attractions near Mount Artos
Mount Artos is located in the city of Van in eastern Turkey. Guests who come to Artos Mountain can visit many natural and historical beauties in Van. Akdamar Island, Van Castle, Hoşap Castle, Van Urartu Museum, Muradiye Waterfall, Akçalı Travertines, Van Cat House, Erçek Lake Bird Sanctuary are the most popular touristic places in this city.
You can see beautiful photos of Artos from Google Photos
You may also want to learn about Turkey’s highest mountain, Mount Ararat. Please click on the link to read more about majestic Mount Ararat.
