The last ascent to Ararat

For the second time Abovyan ascended Ararat in 1846 with an English traveller Henry Seimour. This noble foreigner used to travel in the eastern countries; returning from India, passing through Persia Seimour comes to Russia and in Tiflis after official meetings  he got a permission to explore Ararat enviroment. He wants to see the consequences of the earthquake of 1840. What a pity to see the quondam prospering settlements totally desolated, where many years ago Abovyan travelled with late professor Parrot. Six years ago at the same place there was a nice village with its wealth and antiquity. But an eruption of Ararat destroyed a whole village with its 5000 inhabitants.

After examining the consequences of the earthquake Seimour intended to ascend the top of Ararat accompanied by Abovyan. Owing to favourable weather on September 18 as Abovyan writes. ‘…It seems Ararat never has been so affectionate to a traveller… This time fell to my lot to be the first to worship the sacred setllement of the forefather of the human race. The top of the mountain is a flat, a little hardened rough and comfortable plane to walk on it. When our first happiness was over, we began to think about return-a long and heavy-going way. The midday is almost over…’.

Abovyan wrote a travellig notes ‘A new ascent to the top of Ararat’. This famous work about the voyage. It is published in ‘Kavkaz’ newspaper in 1847.

Returning to England Seimour published a book about his travelling impressions in London, 1877.