Mount Ararat focus of the searches for Noah's Ark. Augustin Calmet wrote in his 1722 biblical dictionary, "It is affirmed, but without proof, that there are still remains of Noah's ark on the top of this mountain; but M. de Tournefort, who visited this spot, has assured us there was nothing like it; that the top of mount Ararat is inaccessible, both by reason of its great height, and of the snow which perpetually covers it." Archaeological expeditions, sometimes supported by evangelical and millenarian churches, have been conducted since the 19th century in search of the ark. According to a 1974 book
Republic of Ararat Republic of Ararat The Republic of Ararat, or Kurdish Republic of Ararat, was a self-proclaimed Kurdish state. It was located in eastern Turkey, centred on Karaköse Province. Agirî is the Kurdish name for Ararat. The Republic of Ararat, led by the central committee of Xoybûn party, declared independence on 28 October 1927 or 1928, during a wave of rebellion among Kurds in southeastern Turkey. The Ararat rebellion was led by General Ihsan Nuri Pasha. In October 1927, Kurd Ava, or Kurdava, a village near Mount Ararat, was designated as the provisional capital of Kurdistan. Xoybûn made appeals to the Great