Close to the Mountains: Mount Hatis
Walking in the mountains, you truly feel happy and carefree. In the mountains, a wanderer turns into a bird, becoming free and wise. If you climb higher and higher, it will seem to you that the mountain peaks, as if connected to one another, are piled upon each other. Above, they become one. If you look into the distance, you will see only the silhouettes of these powerful guardians.
Very often, when you look at the mountains from afar, the feeling of awe may not be overwhelming. It is only up there that you truly perceive, feel, and experience the full power of the mountain.
You are amazed, aren’t you? They have existed for so many years, since ancient times. They have seen so many people, so many events, so many stories. They stand there silently and peacefully, simply absorbing all of history, unintentionally becoming participants in every event.
The mountains clearly separate your life. Not simply living your everyday life, but striving to reach your goal. They inspire confidence in your abilities and in your emotional experiences.
The realization of these truths does not come immediately. You walk alongside them, learning to see and appreciate what matters most in yourself and in others: the present.
We are walking towards the summit of Mount Hatis, located 35 km from Yerevan.
There are many legends associated with Mount Hatis. Its second name is Shamiram… They say that when the Assyrian queen Shamiram was at war with Ara the Beautiful, she positioned her army on the slopes of Mount Hatis. King Ara, meanwhile, positioned himself on the slopes of Mount Araler.
The enemy army was so numerous that the queen had to stand at a higher point so that she could follow the course of the battle. This is where the mountain’s name “Shamiram” is said to have come from.
The mountain’s name, Hadis, is also associated with Hades, who in Greek mythology is considered the ruler of the underworld and the kingdom of the dead. This, in turn, is connected to Ara in the sense that, as a dying and resurrecting god, he periodically appears in the kingdom of the dead. Mount Hatis symbolized his afterlife.
