Mount Damavand
Mount Damavand ( ) is a potentially active stratovolcano, the highest peak in Iran and Western Asia and the highest volcano in Asia and the second highest volcano in the Eastern Hemisphere (after Mount Kilimanjaro), at an elevation of . Mount Damāvand is the 12th most prominent peak in the world and the second most prominent in Asia after Mount Everest. It is part of the Volcanic Seven Summits mountaineering challenge. Symbolism and mythology. Damavand is a significant mountain in Persian mythology. It is the symbol of Iranian resistance against despotism and foreign rule in Persian poetry and literature. In Zoroastrian  texts and mythology, the three-headed dragon Aži Dahāka was chained within Mount Damāvand, there to remain until the end of the world. In a later version of the same legend, the tyrant Zahhāk was also chained in a cave somewhere in Mount Damāvand after being defeated by Kāveh and Fereydūn. Persian poet Ferdowsi depicts this event in his masterpiece, the "Shahnameh": "biyāvarad Zahhāk rā čon navandbe kuh-e Damāvand kardaš be-band" He brought Zahhak like a horse to mount Damavand,And tied him at the peak tight and bound. The mountain is said to hold magical powers in  the "Shahnameh". Damāvand has also been named in the Iranian legend of Arash (as recounted by Bal'ami) as the location from which the hero shot his magical arrow to mark the border of Iran, during the border dispute between Iran and Turan. The poem Damāvand by Mohammad Taqī Bahār is also one fine example of the mountain's significance in Persian literature. The first verse of this poem reads: "Ey div-e sepid-e pāy dar band,Ey gonbad-e giti, ey Damāvand" O white giant with feet in chainsO dome of the world, O Damāvand. Mount Damavand is depicted  on the reverse of the Iranian 10,000 rials banknote. The origins and meaning of the word "Damavand" is unclear, yet some prominent researchers have speculated that it probably means "The mountain from which smoke and ash arises", alluding to the volcanic nature of the mountain. Geology. Mount Damavand first erupted in the Pleistocene almost 1.78 million years ago. After several known eruptions around 600,000 and 280,000 years ago, its last eruption was around 5300 BC in the Holocene. Its steep cone is formed of ash and lava flows mainly of trachyte, andesite, and basalt. The Quaternary lavas are directly on  the Jurassic sediments. The volcano is crowned by a small crater with sulfuric deposits. There are also fumaroles, hot springs, and mineral deposits of travertine. Mount Damavand could be considered as a potentially active volcano, because there are fumaroles near the summit crater emitting sulfur, which was known to be active on July 6, 2007. Thermal springs. Mineral hot springs are mainly located on the volcano's flanks and at the base, giving evidence of volcanic heat comparatively near the surface of the earth. While no historic eruptions have been recorded, hot springs at the base and on the flanks , and fumaroles and solfatara near the summit, indicate a hot or cooling magma body still present beneath the volcano. The most important of these hot springs are located in "Abe Garm Larijan" in a village by the name Larijan in the district of Larijan in Lar Valley. The water from this spring is useful in the treatment of chronic wounds and skin diseases. Near these springs there are public baths with small pools for public use. Routes to the summit. A major settlement for mountain climbers is the new Iranian Mountain Federation Camp in the village of Polour, located on  the south of the mountain. There are at least 16 known routes to the summit, with varying levels of difficulty. Some of them are dangerous and require ice climbing. The most popular route is the southern route which has steps and a camp midway called Bargah Sevom Camp/Shelter at . The Northeastern route is the longest and requires two days to reach the summit starting from the downhill village of Nāndal and a night stay at Takht-e Fereydoun (elevation , a two-story shelter. The western route is noted for its sunset view. Sīmorgh shelter in this route at is  a newly constructed two-story shelter. There is a frozen waterfall/icefall (Persian name Ābshār Yakhī) about tall whose elevation of makes it the highest fall in Iran and the Middle East. Wildlife. Fish. Damavand rivers and slopes are famous for brown trout ("Salmo trutta"). Mammals. Armenian mouflon ("Ovis orientalis") and wild goat ("Capra aegagrus") live in the region of Damavand Mts. Persian leopard ("Panthera pardus saxicolor") and Syrian brown bear ("Ursus arctos syriacus") also inhabit in this region. Smaller mammals include the snow vole ("Chionomys nivalis"), mouse-like hamster ("Calomyscus bailwardi") and Afghan pika ("Ochoton rufescens"). Birds. The attractive  and unreachable Caspian snowcock ("Tetraogallus caspius") lives at high altitudes. Golden eagle ("Aquila chrysaetos") breeds in this area. Griffon vultures ("Gyps fulvus") are common. Chukar partridge ("Alectoris chukar") has a high population and nests between stone and shrubs. Red-fronted serin ("Serinus pusillus"), linnet ("Carduelis cannabina"), snow finch ("Montifringilla nivalis"), rock sparrow ("Petronia petronia"), rock bunting ("Emberiza cia") and horned lark ("Eremophila alpestris") are native; in winter they come to the lower hillsides. In spring northern wheatear ("Oenanthe oenanthe"), rock thrush ("Monticola saxatilis"), and nightingale ("Luscinia megarhynchos") come from Africa for breeding. Grey-necked bunting ("Emberiza buchanani"), black-headed bunting  ("Emberiza melanocephala") and common rosefinch ("Carpodacus erythrinus") come from India. Reptiles and amphibians. Marsh frogs ("Rana ridibunda") live in Lar riversides. Meadow viper ("Vipera ursinii"), blunt-nosed viper ("Macrovipera lebetina"), Iranian valley viper ("Vipera latifii") and Caucasian agama ("Laudakia caucasia") are among the reptiles of this mountainous region. Flora. On the southern slope of Damavand, there are remnants of wild pistachia trees ("Pistacia atlantica"). Along its riversides different kinds of "Salix" trees like willow ("Salix acomphylla") and oleaster ("Elaeagnus angustifolia") are found. Greek juniper ("Juniperus excelsa") is common in the higher altitudes. On northern slopes, because of higher humidity, there  are wild oak, beech and hazel trees like: Persian Oak ("Quercus macranthera"), Eastern Hornbean ("Carpinus orientalis"), and Oriental beech ("Fagus orientalis"). There are also many wild flowers such as mountain tulip ("Tulipa montana") and Persian stone cress ("Aethionema grandiflorum"). At higher altitudes, shrubs tend to be sphere and cushion like, examples are : "Astragalus" species ("Astragalus microcephalus"), mountain sainfoin ("Onobrychis cornuta") and prickly ("Acantholimon erinaceum"). Different kinds of grasses complete this alpine scene. "Iris barnumiae demawendica" (formerly "Iris demawendica"), is found and named after the mountain. From mid-May to mid-June the foothills of . This unique type of poppy, growing  in areas between 2,000 and 3,500 metres, is referred to in botany books as the Lar poppy or Rineh poppy (Rineh and Lar are villages in the foothills of Damavand). National Heritage Site. An anthropologist of Mazandaran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department, Touba Osanlou, has said that a proposal has been made by a group of Iranian mountaineers to register the highest peak in the Middle East, Mount Damavand as a national heritage site. Mazandaran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department has accepted the proposal, the Persian daily Jam-e Jam reported. Osanlou noted that the Iranian Cultural Heritage and Tourism  Organization is presently in the process of renaming an upcoming ancient festivity after Mount Damavand. "We have proposed Tirgan Festivity, Tabari Nowruz, to be named as Damavand National Day," she added. Tirgan Festivity is held in Amol County's Rineh region in Mazandaran province.