Mount Masis: 5165 or 5137?

Mount Ararat is not just the highest peak of the Armenian Highland; it is a profound symbol whose elevation is etched into the memory of every Armenian since their school days. However, you may have recently noticed a different figure circulating: 5137 meters.

Ararat 5165

5165: The Classic and Immutable Figure

For decades, global cartographic sources have cited the height of Mount Ararat as 5165 meters. This is the definitive figure used in Armenian maps, scientific literature, and textbooks alike. To any Armenian, seeing these four digits 5165 instantly evokes the majesty of the highest peak in the Armenian Highland. However, the recent appearance of the 5137 meter figure in international databases has sparked questions. Here is a look at why these numbers differ and what they represent. This elevation is also firmly established in Soviet topographic maps, which specialists to this day consider among the most accurate in the world.

Even prominent modern platforms, such as opentopomap.org, continue to uphold the 5165-meter figure. Today, Turkey uses the number 5137 in its official sources. Because the mountain currently falls within their administrative borders, many new international databases have begun adopting this data. However, this shift does not imply that the previous figure was incorrect.

Why do the figures differ?

There are several methods for measuring a mountain’s height:

Satellite Navigation Systems
Triangulation (Trigonometric) Method
Barometric and Laser Measurements

Ararat 5165

Since the Earth’s crust is in constant motion, mountains can physically change their elevation either rising or sinking due to tectonic processes. Furthermore, different measurement techniques can naturally result in a discrepancy of several meters.

Right or Wrong?

In reality there is no definitive “wrong” answer here. A difference of 28 meters is not significant and does not change the status of Mount Ararat.

While the difference is negligible in the case of Masis, the situation with Mount Sipan is quite different. Older sources cited its elevation as 4434 meters, but modern measurements have recorded it at 4058 meters. This 376-meter discrepancy changed everything: Sipan is no longer considered the second-highest peak of the Armenian Highland.

More Than Just a Number

For us, Ararat is more than just a set of geographic coordinates. Throughout our ascents, a mantra was born: “When your life changes by 5165.” Climbing Ararat is not your typical mountaineering expedition; it is a journey of self-discovery through history. After such an experience, your life truly changes regardless of the elevation marked on a map.