Mount Damavand Elevation

Mount Damavand (5610 m) is the first natural attraction in Iran to be declared a national heritage. The unique Mount Damavand is the tallest mountain in Iran, the tallest volcano in Asia and the tallest conical mountain in the world. If you’re a meticulous person, you may be confused by the different numbers referring to Damavand height you’ve seen in photos, signs, etc. The question here is: how tall is Mount Damavand? .We intend to uncover the reality of Damavand elevation in this article.

The unique Mount Damavand is the tallest mountain in Iran, the tallest volcano in Asia and the tallest conical mountain in the world

A view of Damavand (5610m) from long distance

Damavand height through history

Mount Damavand was first mentioned in documents as Bikni in 744 B.C during Assyrian times. This mighty mountain has ever since been important and holy to Iranians. Mount Damavand is also mentioned by different names in Avesta, Torah and many other historical texts.

in 2004 a Jewish cemetery was discovered in a settlement close to the Mount Damavand-the sacred mountain of ancient Iran since the times of Zarathustra and before. Archaeologists have dated this cemetery to approximately 100 BC.

Many of the noblemen and world travelers who visited Iran after the Qajar dynasty has announced different heights for Mount Damavand ranging from 14000 to 22000 ft. (4267.2 to 6075.6 m). For instance, A.V Williams Jackson an American linguist who traveled to Iran in the 19th century has written: “Mount Damavand is mentioned in Avesta as Hara Berezaiti and is almost 6000 m high“.

Mount Damavand Elevation

According to the Iranian national statistics center, Damavand summit is 5610 m higher than the sea level. This organization measured the height of Mount Damavand using 10 different methods in a 10-days-long project. The precise height of Mount Damavand was announced to be 5609 m and it has been the official and accurate height of Mount Damavand since then.

Before this project different numbers were stated as Damavand height. In 1996, Allen Bach falsely measured Damavand elevation using satellite photos and announced it to be 5670 m. Later on, the number increased by one meter and Damavand height was written 5671 m in many textbooks and other sources, confusing many Iranians.

This false number can still be seen in many sources and on the signs on Mount Damavand. Some other resources such as the national geoscience database of Iran have announced 5670 or 5671 m as the real height of Mount Damavand; however, the inaccuracy of this number has been proved due to the improvement of the precision of measurement equipment and better calibration.

Many of the inhabitants of the villages near Mount Damavand such as Rineh, Polour, Nandal and Gazank still believe Damavand peak to be 5671 m high due to the incorrect information that was considered accurate for more than 40 years and is still found in many books, articles other references.

In addition, 5671 m is still seen as Damavand height on many of the signs on Damavand trekking routes and T-shirts, mugs, posters and other types of souvenir.

on top of Damavand Summit (5610m)
Mount Damavand elevation

Mount Damavand Relative height

The relative height of Mount Damavand is 4667 m, placing it 12th on the list of tallest mountains in the world based on relative height. The relative height of a mountain is determined by measuring the elevation of its summit relative to the lowest valley between the mountain and the closest high peak.

Mount Damavand is the 12th tallest mountain based on relative height after Mount Everest, Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, Mount Denali in the USA, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Vinson in Antarctica, Mount Elbrus in Russia and Mont Blanc in Belarus.

The relative height of Mount Damavand is even more than Mount Kanchenjunga, Mount Nanga Parbat, Mount K2 and many other tall mountains worldwide, showing the considerable difference between the elevation of Damavand summit and its surrounding area.

The relative height of Mount Damavand is 4667 m, placing it 12th on the list of tallest mountains in the world based on relative height.

This fact is the reason why the Damavand summit is visible from the distance, If the weather is clear.

Read more about Mount Damavand Facts & Infos. If you plan to climb Damavand, Please checkout Cheetah-Adventures Damavand Tour Page.