The roof of Iran
Damavand rises alone above the Alborz range, a near-perfect cone of snow and rock that can be seen from Tehran on a clear day. At about 5,610 m it is the highest peak in Iran and the highest volcano in Asia. It is dormant, and steam and sulphur vents still show at the summit.
Zahhak in the mountain
In the Shahnameh, the tyrant Zahhak, who had snakes growing from his shoulders, ruled Iran for a thousand years until the blacksmith Kaveh raised a rebellion with his leather apron on a spear. The hero Fereydun defeated Zahhak and chained him inside Mount Damavand, where, the story says, he is bound until the end of time. The story is also tied to the festival of Mehregan.
Climbing and views
In summer, climbers make the ascent over two or three days from the villages on the southern slopes. The 20th-century poet Mohammad-Taqi Bahar wrote a famous poem to the mountain, picturing Damavand as a white giant with its feet in chains, and for Iranians it stands for endurance and pride.
