Mount Ağrı in eastern Türkiye hosted 3,905 climbers this year following the wettest winter in recent years, drawing 3,148 foreign and 757 local mountaineers to the country’s 5,137-meter peak.
Following security and national park usage guidelines set by the eastern governorates of Ağrı and Iğdır, climbers start their ascent from a 3,200-meter camp. They battle weather conditions alongside local guides to reach the summit.
“We are experiencing a beautiful season with guests arriving from all over the world,” guide Resul Civaş said. “The season opened late this year, but we are having a beautiful season. We invite everyone, local and foreign climbers, here,” he said.
The mountain holds a billion-dollar tourism potential but lacks the economic yield of global counterparts despite drawing around 5,000 people annually, Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University Arts and Sciences Faculty Geography Department Professor Faruk Kaya said.
Nepal earns $11,000 per person for Everest permits, generating over $300 million annually, while Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro attracts 50,000 visitors every year, Kaya said.
The peak holds significance across three Abrahamic religions due to the Noah’s Flood narrative. Following Friedrich Parrot’s 1829 scientific climb, the site and the nearby Durupınar formation have featured in documentaries of Discovery Channel, National Geographic and History Channel.
Noah’s Ark theme parks in the United States and Hong Kong host 1 million and 7 million annual visitors, respectively, Kaya said, calling for a tourism master plan linking regional landmarks İshak Paşa Palace, Ahmed-i Hani Tomb, Fish Lake, Diyadin Hot Springs and the Meteor Crater.
Experts propose building a Noah’s Ark Museum and Visitor Center on the eastern Doğubayazıt-Durupınar line to improve regional accommodation, food services and administrative coordination.
