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
Ararat River Ararat River The Ararat River is a tributary of the Yadkin River in southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina in the United States. Via the Yadkin it is part of the watershed of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. The Ararat River rises in the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern Patrick County, Virginia, and flows southwardly into Surry County, North Carolina, where it flows through the city of Mount Airy and joins the Yadkin River, about 5 mi (8 km) northwest of East Bend. The river is stocked with brown, brook, and rainbow trout. According to