Ilandag

Ilandag means snake mountain, and it rises to a little over two thousand metres above the Araz valley as a bare rock peak split by a deep notch at the summit. The cleft is what makes it recognisable from a long way off, and local tradition explains it as the mark left by Noah's ark grounding on the peak as the flood went down. It is dry, bare rock with no vegetation on the upper slopes, and it dominates the view from the road between Nakhchivan city and Julfa.

What you actually see

• The cleft summit - a deep notch splitting the top of the peak, visible for many kilometres.
• The bare rock - dry unvegetated slopes rising abruptly from the valley floor.
• The valley setting - the Araz plain below with mountains beyond it.
• The approach - tracks from the villages at the base for those attempting the climb.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the seasons for climbing; summer is severely hot on bare rock with no water on the mountain. The peak is at its most photogenic in low light from the valley road.

Honest expectations

Climbing it is a serious undertaking on loose rock with no marked route and no water, and is not something to attempt casually or alone. For most visitors this is a view from the road rather than an ascent. The flood legend is tradition, not history.

Nearby

Julfa is south on the Araz, Ordubad is east along the valley and Nakhchivan city is northwest.