Mt. Damavand, the highest peak in Iran, has some hot springs, mainly located on the volcano's flanks and at the base, giving evidence of volcanic heat near the surface of the earth. Hot springs at the base and on the flanks and fumaroles near the summit indicate the presence of hot magma, there by making Mount Damavand a potentially active volcano. Presence of the crater indicates that the volcano might have erupted in the past, while there are no eruptions recorded in its known history.
Located near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and 66 kilometers (41 miles) northeast of Iran’s capital city Tehran, Mount Damavand (aka Donbavand), is the highest peak in Iran and the highest point in the Middle East. Also, it is a potentially active volcano and the highest volcano in Asia. Located in the middle Alborz Range, its elevation is 5,610 meter (18,406 feet), according to the Statistical Centre of Iran, which states ‘the highest point in Iran is Mount Damavand being 5,610 meters high’. There are fumaroles near the summit crater emitting sulfur, which were known to be active on July 6, 2007, though the date of Mount Damavand’s last eruption is unknown.
Mount Ararat is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey having two peaks: the Greater Ararat, the tallest peak in Turkey and the entire Armenian plateau with an elevation of 5,137 meter (16,854 ft) and the Lesser Ararat with an elevation of 3,896 meter (12,782 ft).
The Ararat massif is about 40 km in diameter. The Iran-Turkey boundary skirts east of Lesser Ararat, the lower peak of the Ararat massif. It has been reported that this flank had been used by Kurdish rebel tribes to organize uprisings against Turkey in the past.
In Judeo-Christian tradition and belief, Mount Ararat is associated with the ‘Mountains of Ararat’ where according to the book of Genesis in the Bible, The Noah's Ark came to rest. This mount also plays a very significant role in Armenian nationalism.
