Kaçkar Mountains

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Kaçkar mountains, Kaçkar Dağları or simply Kaçkar(s) are a mountain range rising above along the Black Sea coast in Eastern Turkey. With highest peak Kaçkar Dağı (elevation 3937 metres), and mountain plateaus at about 3000 metres in elevation, it is the highest part of Pontic Mountains. The Kaçkars are glaciated mountains, alpine in character, with steep rocky peaks and numerous mountain lakes.

Geography and nomenclature

The name Kaçkar (thought to be from the Armenian Խաչքար (Khachkar literally meaning "cross stone")) may be used in various senses. It may describe the whole mountain range, including the many mountain groups, or it may just describe the Kaçkar-Kavron group with its highest peak, or just the highest peak itself. The local name of the highest peak or its mountain group Kaçkar Dağı translates to Kaçkar mountain, and the name of the range Kaçkar Dağları translates to Kaçkar mountains.

On the south and east, the Kaçkar mountains are bordered by the Çoruh river valley; on the north, by the Black Sea coast.

Major mountain groups

• Altıparmak group
• Kavron (or Kaçkar-Kavron)
• Verçenik group

See also

• Rize

References

• Tunç Fındık (2001) Kaçkar Dağları, Homer Kitabevi, Istanbul. ISBN 975-8293-18-4

External links

• Photos of Kaçkar Mountains

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Last updated on Tuesday February 05, 2008 at 12:37:09 PST (GMT -0800)
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