Mount Damavand

It is the highest mountain in Iran and the Middle East and the highest volcano in Asia. Located in the north of Iran it stands at the center of the Alborz mountain range, south of the Persian Caspian Sea. It is in Larijan, in Amol, Mazandaran Province. When it’s clear and sunny, it’s visible from Tehran, Varamin and Qom cities. It joined Iran’s national relic list in Tir 30, 1387. It was also included among 4 valuable regions in terms of the importance of its environment protection as a national natural relic. It’s mentioned in the Persian myths and it’s famous since Zahhak , a cruel king and his dragon, were enslaved in Mount Damavand. It’s stated in the Persian literature works too. In the Bundahishn, it reads: Harhaz(Haraz) river lies in Taparestan and it’s origin stands in Mount Damavand. Malako Shoara Bahar, the elegist, wrote a famous poem on it known as “Damavandiye”. Damavand has hot spas such as Larijan, Ask and Vane.

Damavand Mount height

There are different measures for the height of the mountain from the surface of open water by different sources: according to the national statistics website, 5670 m high, Iran’s national base for geology data 5670 m and Nasa’s Earth Observatory website 5671 m. The Persian encyclopedia presents 6 measures for its height ranging from 5543 to 6400 m.
Its relative height which measures the peaks height in relation to the flattest valley between the peak and the closest peak reaches 4661 km. It is then the 12th on the world’s highest peaks ranked in terms of the relative height.

Average precipitation

The average precipitation on Damavand heights is 1400 mm per year. It is usually snowy.

Its distance from adjacent cities

It’s 69 km from northeast of Tehran, 62 km from west of Amol and 26 km from north of Damavand city.

Rivers around it

It has rivers: Tine in the north, Haraz in south and east, Lar and Divasiyab in the west, and Panj Ab in the east.

Damavand’s temperature in heights

The minimum temperature in Damavand heights reaches 60 °C below zero in winter and 1 or 2 °C below zero in summer.

Wind speed

Hurricanes in Damavand sometimes exceed 150 km, and wind speeds reach 70 km in the mountainsides.

Air pressure

Its pressure is half of the air pressure at sea level.

Sulfur eruption from an area near the peak

Laminate volcano was formed in Quaternary geology known as Holocene and is rather young. Volcanic activities include: sulfur gas eruption. It was last active 38500 years ago. It’s dormant now but it might become active. A few years ago, in 1386, smoke and steam exited the peak and some assumed it was going to erupt but it was only due to a flow of steam coming out from the mouth. It happens in high rainy weather since water penetrates inside the peak and hits hot stones.
Its mouth diameter is about 400 m and is covered in ice. There are signs of old mouths in the south and north sides.

Names and etymology

Damavand has been known by different names such as Danabnvand, Dabanavnd and Azure Mountain, which are recorded in various sources or places. It is mentioned in the Torah and its Assyrian term is Biken. In the Moein Persian dictionary it is said that it was called Damavand that consists of two stems: Dam: steam or humid plus Avand: Damavand :it has humidity, smoke and steam: a volcano.

National Damavand day

The nationally registered ritual known as “Tir Mah Sizdah Sho” is held in Mazandaran in the night of Aban 13.
Iran’s Mountain Climbers Association celebrates the day on the slopes of the mountain in Rine, a city in Amol, Larijan, in Tir 13 every year.

National Damavand music

The music was first played to a crowd of 9000 people with the voice of Salar Aghili on Tirgan celebration in 1391.

National Damavand natural site

With an area of over 2950 hectares, it has now been made part of the regions managed by the Environmental Protection Organization based on an act (issue 221and the date of 1381.3.21) of the supreme council of the environment.
Its geographic width is 3976113 to 3982150 and its geographic length is 596762 to 603597.A symbol of resistance and firmness in the Persian culture, it includes plant species like yarrow, Damavandi Pirgiyah, Sainfoin, and locoweed. The main factors which threaten its environment are: an overuse of the environment beyond its capacity and the exploitation of mineral cartridge from its neighborhood.

Mountain climbing in Damavand

It was conquered in the old days. Naser Khsoro, the Persian poet who wrote works like Asarol Bilad and Akhbarol Ibad, states in his itinery; it is said that there is a well on the top of Damavand from which sal-ammoniac and sulfur match are taken. He also gives a quote: some locals said they reached the top within 5 days and nights and found the peak was flat with an area of 100 jarib while it resembled a pyramid from a distance. A European team led by Taylor Thompson managed to ascend the peak in 1837 for the first time. The first documented ascension by Iranians belongs to a team supervised by Colonel Mohammad Sadegh Khan Ghajar in 1857. They determined it was 6613 zar, a unit of length, high. On the southern fronts of Damavand Mt. there is a unique frozen waterfall.

The main paths to ascend

There are different paths to reach the top, the best-known of which are: the north front, the path goes through 2 glacires of Siyule (in right) and Dubisel (in left).
The northeastern front with Takhte fereydoon shelter, the western front with Simorgh shelter,and the southern front from the southeast of Poloor Mountain with Rine, Goosfandsara, and Bargahe Sevom.
The easiest is the south front and the most difficult, the north front.3 fronts of north, south and northeast are situated near villages and they all have shelters in the middle.
On the south path, there is a waterfall called icy waterfall, 7 m high and 3m wide, which is frozen all year round and only in hot summers it would flow. Actually, in summer when it’s about midday and an hour after that, the temperature goes above zero due to the sunlight. It starts flowing to a small extent and then at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, it goes down below zero again and starts freezing.

Shelters

On the map of climbing Alborz heights there are shelters:
Goosfand Sara shelter(at the foothill)in a hight of 2950 m.
Bargahe Sevvom (southern side) at a height of 4150 m.
Simorgh ( west side) at a height of 4150 m.
Takhte Fereydoon (northeastern side)in a heiht of 4360 m.
Metal shelter (north front) at a height of 4000 m.

Famous glaciers of mount Damavand

Siyule (in the northern front), Dubisel( in the northern front) Aroosakha ( in the northern front), Darre Bokhar( northeastern)Khortab Sar, Somale Gharbi, and Gharbi glaciers.

Animals range

Its exceptional region which overlooks a forest from the north and
mountains bordering the desert from the south is home to various animals from the predatory animals such as foxes, jackals, dogs, to wolves which scatter around. They are sometimes visible at a height of 4000m. Bears exist too which live in the west and north and avoid the heights.
Vegetarian animals include: ewes, deer, hogs, and rabbits. All except the rabbits and hogs stay in the heights in the hot seasons and come down from the heights once it gets colder. They might even reach a height of 5000 m. There are also predatory birds like dull-yellow partridges, partridges, black chest birds, parrots and woodpeckers. Five types of snakes, scorpions, lizards, rats and badgers might also be seen. Most of the stingers are not poisonous and even the most dangerous reptiles would heal only after a few hours. Stingers are rarely seen in the heights above 4000 m. Over the peak frozen corpses of animals like sheep and mountainous goats were found .It’s not clear why they went over the peak. They might have died due to sulfur gas emission, the cold, hunger etc.

Vegetations

Various plants grow in the heights. They all carry the name Damavand in the end: Kolah Mirhussein Damavandi, Kezel Damavandi, Bumadran damavandi, Pir Giyah damvandi, Rish Ghoosh Damavandi, Damavandi forget me not, Zangoolei damavandi, Katani Damavandi, and Mashak Damavandi.there is grass and tall thorny dense bushes at a height of 3200 to 3500 m. The thorny bushes include: locoweeds, violet sainfoin bushes, and Gach Doost Gol Sangi. There are also Varamoot( Anfsetyn) species such as mountainous wormwood, scented wormwood, Koohsari wormwood,and abundant east wormwood.other species include: Alpine pine, mountainous semi-circular sainfoin, locoweed, rock jasmine, Koohsari
Hoary cress, Shah Balooti clover, Koohsari Oxalis, Alborzi Colutea, Pelakhor Butei, Galeshe angoor, dark flower, wild eglantine, Ghafghazi, Rose Gardalood, Gaz, Alaf Bere, Chaman Ararati, central asian wheat grass, Jaroye Alafi Bami, Alaf Ghermez,oats,Melikaye Bizabanak, Alaf soorati,Harati rye,delicate Yoolaf, Rish sonbol, Kahshkash Tannaz( a kind of poppy),Shekar Tighal,Chon Jashir, Serish, Zaban Tala, Pir Sonbol,Ghodoome Porshakhe, fragrant parsley, Lemon balm, Khakeshir Talkh Kootole,Gole Bimarge Talai, Panje Barge Noghregoon, Azad Beri, Panje Barge HNamedani, Denai, sonbole arghavani, and Minaye Parkape Barg Noghrei.
The region is rich in terms of pastures and grasslands even in the heights (under 4000m).
The slope of the mountain at a height of 2000 to 3500 m is thoroughly covered by anemone. The unique species of anemone in Lar and Rine has joined the world’s reliable botanical books.

Threats:

Things that would damage Damavand mainly include: mining exploitation, road construction, livestock overgrazing, and waste.

Problems facing the neighborhood

The main problems are: irregular constructions, occupying natural resources for illegal and personal use, growth of population and cars, extensive visits of tourists who don’t know much about nature and protecting the environment, inscribing on the rocks as a memory, installing boards to commemorate the killed and group flags, lack of residential areas and poor advertisement.