The summit of Mount Ararat was reached for the first time in recorded history on 9 October 1829 by a team led by Friedrich Parrot. This expedition marked a significant achievement in early scientific mountaineering, requiring the use of specific measuring instruments and local guidance to navigate the challenging terrain of the Russian Empire.
Academic and Professional Background
Born in Karlsruhe in 1791, Friedrich Parrot received an education at the Riga State Gymnasium No.1 and the Imperial University of Dorpat. He established a career as a naturalist, physician, physicist, and university teacher. During his time at the University of Dorpat, he held the position of rector from 1830 to 1833. As a member of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences, his scientific contributions included the invention of a gasometer and a baro-thermometer. He also popularised the Catalan sundial in Livonia.
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Parrot's interest in natural history led to several research expeditions. In 1811, he travelled to the Crimea and the Caucasus with Moritz von Engelhardt, utilizing a barometer to calculate sea level differences between the Caspian and Black Seas. His field experience expanded in 1816 and 1817 with visits to the Alps and the Pyrenees. Before his notable Ararat project, he served as an assistant doctor and later as a surgeon in the Imperial Russian Army starting in 1815.
The Ascent of Mount Ararat
Following the Treaty of Turkmenchay, Parrot secured approval from Tsar Nicholas I for an expedition to Mount Ararat. Accompanied by students and a military escort, he navigated through Russian Transcaucasia. After a plague outbreak delayed the mission in Yerevan, he met the Armenian figure Khachatur Abovian at Etchmaidzin, who served as a translator and guide. After two failed attempts due to logistical challenges and weather, Parrot, Abovian, two soldiers, and two villagers reached the summit at 3:15 p.m. on 9 October 1829. He subsequently arranged for Abovian to study at the University of Dorpat.
Legacy and Honours
Parrot continued his scientific observations throughout his life, including studying terrestrial magnetism and pendulum oscillations in Finland in 1837. His work is commemorated through several geographic and scientific namings, including the Parrotia tree genus, the Parrotspitze peak in the Pennine Alps, and a lunar crater named by the International Astronomical Union in 1935. A documentary film titled Journey to Ararat examined his expedition history.
Fast facts
- Born: 1791, Karlsruhe
- Died: 1841, Tartu
- Citizenship: Russian Empire
- Education: Imperial University of Dorpat
- Mount Ararat summit date: 9 October 1829
- Burial site: Raadi cemetery
- Primary occupations: Naturalist, physician, physicist
Questions readers ask
What scientific instruments did Friedrich Parrot use?
He used barometers for altitude and sea level research, pendulums for terrestrial magnetism, and gasometers.
Where is Friedrich Parrot buried?
He is buried at the Raadi cemetery in Tartu.
Achievements
- Recorded as explorer, physicist and university teacher
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