Mount Süphan (; ; ) is a
stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with ...
located in eastern
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, immediately north of
Lake Van
Lake Van (; ; ) is the largest lake in Turkey. It lies in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey in the provinces of Van Province, Van and Bitlis Province, Bitlis, in the Armenian highlands. It is a Salt lake, saline Soda lake, soda lake, receiv ...
. It is the second highest volcano in Turkey, with an elevation of , and has the third highest prominence of the
Armenian Highlands
The Armenian highlands (; also known as the Armenian upland, Armenian plateau, or Armenian tableland)Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: ...
, after
Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat, also known as Masis or Mount Ağrı, is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in Eastern Turkey, easternmost Turkey. It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the highest p ...
(5,137 m) and
Mount Aragats
Mount Aragats (, ) is an isolated four-peaked volcano massif in Armenia. Its northern summit, at 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 Ar ...
(4,090 m).
The mountain has two peaks, east and west, separated by a 1.5 km-wide basin; there are two small lakes in this basin.
The eastern summit is much larger in area and consists of "a wide snow-covered platform of
cairn
A cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the (plural ).
Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehistory, t ...
-like bare rock peaks".
From here, the whole northern shore of Lake Van is visible, along with
Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat, also known as Masis or Mount Ağrı, is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in Eastern Turkey, easternmost Turkey. It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the highest p ...
, the
Murat river
The Murat River, also called Eastern Euphrates (, , ), is a major source of the Euphrates River. The Ancient Greeks and Romans used to call the river ''Arsanias'' (). It originates near Mount Ararat north of Lake Van, in Eastern Turkey, and flows ...
plain, and even the
Palandöken mountain south of
Erzurum
Erzurum (; ) is a List of cities in Turkey, city in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. It is the site of an ...
.
The smaller western summit has fields of lava boulders.
A narrow ridge connects the two peaks.
All sides of the mountain are marked by lava "ribs".
The slope is fairly gentle on all sides except the north.
The remains of the small
Urartian fort of Kefirkalesi are located on the southwest slope at a height of 2400 m.
This was probably never intended to have a permanent garrison and was mostly to keep local nomadic groups in check.
Today, there are a few small villages along the mountain's lower slopes.
About 1.5 km west of the village of Harmantepe (formerly Norsunçuk), there is also an ancient cemetery with urns that may have once contained
cremated
Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning.
Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...
remains.
Geography
The Yalnız Ağaç or Lonely Tree is the only tree on Süphan Mountain and is located at the southern foot of the mountain and north of
Lake Aygır. Lonely Tree is at . Mount Süphan is 60 to 70 kilometers (37 to 43.5 miles) northwest of the city of
Van and around 153 kilometers southeast of
Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat, also known as Masis or Mount Ağrı, is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in Eastern Turkey, easternmost Turkey. It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the highest p ...
Gallery
See also
*
List of volcanoes in Turkey
*
Mount Nemrut
Mount Nemrut or Nemrud (; ; ; Greek language, Greek: Όρος Νεμρούτ) is a mountain in southeastern Turkey, notable for the summit where a number of large statues are erected around what is assumed to be a royal tomb from the 1st century ...
*
Bilican Mountains
*
Mount Göztepe
*
Akdoğan Mountains
Akdoğan Mountains (); (); is a mountain range located at the zero point of the Muş and Erzurum border. It extends from the east of Akdoğan lake to Karaçoban district by crossing the border where Varto, Bulanık and Hınıs districts inter ...
*
Bingöl Mountains
Bingöl Mountains (; ) is a mountain range in Turkey at the zero point of the provincial border of Erzurum and Muş.
Geology and geomorphology
Bingöl Mountains is an example of Shield volcanoes. Dağkale Hill, which is the highest point of ...
References
External links
Mount Süphan - map
Mountains of Turkey
Stratovolcanoes of Turkey
Landforms of Bitlis Province
Four-thousanders of the Armenian Highland
Four-thousanders of Asia
Pleistocene stratovolcanoes
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