Iğdır Tuzluca and its Surrounding in Travels of Clavijio and Parrot

Sürmeli (aralık-iğdır- tuzluca) has been visited by few travelers since it is out of the caravan way connecting silk road via iran and anatolia. the focus of the visits to the region has been for the search for the noah’s ark, supposed to be in mount agrı. one who has given much of the information information on sürmeli is clavijo. clavijo, who has been sent by spanish king to tamburlane as messenger (1404), has visited sürmeli on the way to iran and he gave information about tuzluca, sürmeli city, iğdır and mount agrı. the other one who has given detailed information on sürmeli is a german scientist and a traveler dr. friedrich parrot who visited the region 425 years after clavijo. parrot, who arrived in ahura village on september 11, 1829 following the route of tiblisi, alaverdi, yerevan, acmiadzin in order to have search to find the noah’s ark, had stayed there. parrot who used st.yakub monastery for accommodation in the village also documented his experiences before, during and after his climb to the mount agrı in details. besides his mountaineering activity, parrot had visits to the settlements in sürmeli. in order to see the salt beds in tuzluca, parrot departed on 24 september 1829 from ahura and arrived in tuzluca on 26 september 1829 following the route of taşburun- hakmehmet-arapkir. he spent much of his journey in the plain. during his 4 days visit of tuzluca and its environment, parrot gave interesting and detailed information. among these are the culture of meal, house types and architecture and hosting tradition of the regent.