Mount Kazbek or Mount Kazbegi is a dormant

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...

and one of the major

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

s of the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

, located on the Russian-Georgian border - in Russia's North Ossetia region and Georgia's

Kazbegi District Kazbegi ( ka, ყაზბეგის მუნიციპალიტეტი) is a district of Georgia, in the region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti in east-north Georgia. The main settlement is Stepantsminda, accounting for about half of the total ...

. At 5,034 m (16,515 ft) high, it is one of the highest peaks in Russia and the third-highest peak in Georgia (after Mount

Shkhara Shkhara ( ka, შხარა) is the highest point in the nation of Georgia It is located near the Russian-Georgian border, in Russia's Kabardino-Balkaria region on the northern side, and the Svaneti region of Georgia in the south. Shkhara lies ...

and Janga). Kazbegi is also the second-highest volcanic summit in the Caucasus, after

Mount Elbrus Mount Elbrus ( rus, links=no, Эльбрус, r=Elbrus, p=ɪlʲˈbrus; kbd, Ӏуащхьэмахуэ, 'uaşhəmaxuə; krc, Минги тау, Mingi Taw) is the highest and most prominent peak in Russia and Europe. It is situated in the we ...

. The summit lies directly to the west of the town of

Stepantsminda Stepantsminda ( ka, სტეფანწმინდა; formerly Kazbegi, ), is a townlet in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of north-eastern Georgia. Historically and ethnographically, the town is part of the Khevi province. It is the center of t ...

and is the most prominent geographic feature of the area. The name Kazbeg is disputed; some claims are it is named after a Circassian nobleman who lived on it, other claims are it is named after local nobleman Dimitri Chopikashvili (grand father of the Georgian writer

Aleksandre Kazbegi Alexander Kazbegi ( ka, ალექსანდრე ყაზბეგი, ) (1848–1893) was a Georgia (country), Georgian writer, famous for his 1883 novel ''The Patricide''. Early life Kazbegi was born in Stepantsminda the great grands ...

) got the title of "Kazgeb" from Georgian king Erekle II. The word "Kazbek" means a "nobleman" in Kabardian language. The title appeared under Georgian king Rostom in the 17th century. The name of the mountain in

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

, ''Mqinvartsveri'', translates to "

Glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...

Peak" or "Freezing Cold Peak". The

Vainakh The Nakh peoples, also known as ''Vainakh peoples'' (Chechen/Ingush: , apparently derived from Chechen , Ingush "our people"; also Chechen-Ingush), are a group of Caucasian peoples identified by their use of the Nakh languages and other cult ...

name ''Bashlam'' translates as "Molten Mount".

Location

Kazbek is located on the

Khokh Range The Khokh Range ( ka, ხოხის ქედი, ''Xoxis kedi''; os, Хохы рагъ, ''Xoxy ragh'') is a mountain range in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia. The mountain range runs north of the Greater Caucasus Range, which is pierced by ...

, a mountain range which runs north of the Greater Caucasus Range, and which is pierced by the gorges of the Ardon and the

Terek Terek may refer to: Places China * (), a list of township-level divisions of Xinjiang, town in Xinjiang, China Kyrgyzstan *Terek, Alay, a village in Alay District, Osh Region *Terek, Kara-Kulja, a village in Kara-Kulja District, Osh Region *Terek ...

. At its eastern foot runs the

Georgian Military Road The Georgian Military Road or Georgian Military Highway (, 'sakartvelos samkhedro gza'' , os, Арвыкомы фæндаг 'Arvykomy fændag'' is the historic name for a major route through the Caucasus from Georgia to Russia. Alternative r ...

through the pass of Darial 2,378 meters (7,805 feet). The mountain itself lies along the edge of the Borjomi–Kazbegi Fault (which is a northern sub-ending of the

North Anatolian Fault The North Anatolian Fault (NAF) ( tr, Kuzey Anadolu Fay Hattı) is an active right-lateral strike-slip fault in northern Anatolia, and is the transform boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the Anatolian Plate. The fault extends westward fro ...

). The region is highly active

tectonically Tectonics (; ) are the processes that control the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. These include the processes of mountain building, the growth and behavior of the strong, old cores of continents k ...

, with numerous small

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

s occurring at regular intervals. An active geothermal/

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

system also surrounds the mountain. Kazbek is a

potentially active volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...

, built up of

trachyte Trachyte () is an extrusive igneous rock composed mostly of alkali feldspar. It is usually light-colored and aphanitic (fine-grained), with minor amounts of mafic minerals, and is formed by the rapid cooling of lava enriched with silica and al ...

and sheathed with

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

, and has the shape of a double cone, whose base lies at an altitude of 1,770 meters (5,800 feet). Kazbek is the highest of the volcanic cones of the

Kazbegi Stepantsminda ( ka, სტეფანწმინდა; formerly Kazbegi, ), is a townlet in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of north-eastern Georgia. Historically and ethnographically, the town is part of the Khevi province. It is the center of ...

volcanic group A volcanic group is a stratigraphic group consisting of volcanic strata. They can be in the form of volcanic fields, volcanic complexes and cone A cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat base (frequ ...

which also includes

Mount Khabarjina Mount Khabarjina ( ka, ქაბარჯინა) is a mountain and dormant volcano in the Caucasus of Georgia. It has an elevation of 3,142 metres. It is located near Mount Kazbek Mount Kazbek or Mount Kazbegi is a dormant stratovolcan ...

(3,142 metres). Owing to the steepness of its slopes, the glaciers of Kazbek are not very large. The total combined area of all of Kazbek's glaciers is 135 km². The best-known glacier is the Dyevdorak ( Devdaraki), which creeps down the north-eastern slope into a gorge of the same name, reaching a level of 2,295 meters (7,530 feet). Kazbegi's other glaciers include the Mna, Denkara,

Gergeti Gergeti ( ka, გერგეტი; also known as Ortsveri) is a glacier located on the southeastern slope of Mt. Kazbek in the Kazbegi District of Georgia. The length of the Gergeti glacier is and its surface area is . The tongue of Gergeti ...

, Abano, and Chata. The recent collapse of the

Kolka Glacier Kolka Glacier ( os, Хъолхъа) is a glacier in North Ossetia, Russia, near Mount Kazbek, known for its surging properties. The most recent and the most powerful surge took place on 20 September 2002, resulting in the death of ca. 140 people ...

, located in a valley between Mt. Jimara and Kazbegi in the year 2002 was attributed to

solfatara A fumarole (or fumerole) is a vent in the surface of the Earth or other rocky planet from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted, without any accompanying liquids or solids. Fumaroles are characteristic of the late stages of volcani ...

volcanic activity along the northern slope of the mountain, although there was no eruption. In addition to the 2002 event, a massive collapse of the Devdaraki Glacier on the mountain's northeastern slope which occurred on August 20, 2014, led to the death of seven people. The glacier collapse dammed the Terek River in the Daryal Gorge and flooded the Georgian Military Highway. From 24 to 28 May 2019 Caucasus Skitouring Network organized an expedition to survey Mt. Kazbegi's height. On 27 May 2019 at 12:22 GMT+4, for the first time, a survey team placed a GPS receiver on the Mt. Kazbegi peak. The new height is defined with the WGS 84 datum. Height was determinate with 5mm accuracy. Defined height is 5053.927m.

Legend

Mount Kazbegi is associated in Georgian folklore with Amirani, the Georgian version of Prometheus, who was chained on the mountain in punishment for having stolen fire from the gods and giving it to mortals. The location of his imprisonment later became the site of an

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

hermitage located in a cave called "Betlemi" (

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

) at approximately the 4,000-meter level. According to legends, this cave housed many sacred relics, including

Abraham Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jew ...

's tent and the manger of the infant

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

. The summit was first climbed in 1868 by

D. W. Freshfield Douglas William Freshfield (27 April 1845 – 9 February 1934) was a British lawyer, mountaineer and author, who edited the ''Alpine Journal ''from 1872 to 1880. He was an active member of the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club and ...

, A. W. Moore, and C. Tucker of the Alpine Club, with the guide François Devouassoud. They were followed by female

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

n alpinist Maria Preobrazhenskaya, who made the climb nine times starting in 1900.

Kazbegi nature reserve

The area around Mount Kazbegi was designated a nature reserve by the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

government in 1979, and includes

beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...

forests, subalpine forests and

alpine meadow Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...

s. Many of the plants and animals in the reserve are endemic to the Caucasus region.

Climate

Image gallery

Image:Georgianroad.jpg, 19th-century postcard of the

near Mount Kazbegi Image:Kazbegi.July.2009.jpg, Mount Kazbek from the outside of the

Gergeti Trinity Church Gergeti Trinity Church ( - ''Tsminda Sameba'') is a popular name for Holy Trinity Church near the village of Stepantsminda in Georgia. The church is situated on the right bank of the river Chkheri (the left tributary of the river Terek), at an ...

File:980522-IMG 6827-2.jpg, Kazbegi Mountain, August 2019 File:"Kazbegi", Panoramic view of Mount Kazbek (Mqinvartsveri) range, Caucasus, Georgia.jpg File:980522-IMG 6729-2-Kazbek.jpg File:Казбек. Август 2011.jpg File:980522-GergetiGlacier-Kazbek-IMG 6459-2.jpg, Gergeti glacier

References

External links

* – photos
Normal climbing route to Mount Kazbek – detailed description

Different ways to climb mt Kazbek – detailed description
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kazbek, Mount Stratovolcanoes of Russia Mountains of Georgia (country) Mountains of North Ossetia–Alania Volcanoes of Georgia (country) Potentially active volcanoes Georgia (country)–Russia border International mountains of Europe Geography of Mtskheta-Mtianeti Five-thousanders of the Caucasus Holocene stratovolcanoes