Mt. Damavand, the highest peak in Iran, has some hot springs, mainly located on the volcano's flanks and at the base, giving evidence of volcanic heat near the surface of the earth. Hot springs at the base and on the flanks and fumaroles near the summit indicate the presence of hot magma, there by making Mount Damavand a potentially active volcano. Presence of the crater indicates that the volcano might have erupted in the past, while there are no eruptions recorded in its known history.
Photo: view from Monte Creino to Nago-Torbole and the northern part of Lake Garda. Nago-Torbole is a municipal town in the Province of Trento in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 30 km southwest of Trento on the north shore of Lake Garda.
Mount Ararat is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey having two peaks: the Greater Ararat, the tallest peak in Turkey and the entire Armenian plateau with an elevation of 5,137 meter (16,854 ft) and the Lesser Ararat with an elevation of 3,896 meter (12,782 ft).
The Ararat massif is about 40 km in diameter. The Iran-Turkey boundary skirts east of Lesser Ararat, the lower peak of the Ararat massif. It has been reported that this flank had been used by Kurdish rebel tribes to organize uprisings against Turkey in the past.
In Judeo-Christian tradition and belief, Mount Ararat is associated with the ‘Mountains of Ararat’ where according to the book of Genesis in the Bible, The Noah's Ark came to rest. This mount also plays a very significant role in Armenian nationalism.
Mount Olympus, the highest mountain range in Greece, has its highest peak Mitikas (Mytikas), which is 2,919 meters high (9,577 feet). It is located in the borders of Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 km away from Thessaloniki. The mountain has been regarded as the ‘home of the gods’, specifically of the Twelve Olympians, the twelve principal gods of the ancient Hellenistic world, according to Greek mythology. The mount is popular with climbers, though it is a non-technical hike, except for the final 30 minute section from Skala summit to Mitikas summit. Climbers mostly start from the town of Litochoro. (Photo dated: Jan 21, 2007.)
