Mount Ahır

Mount Ahır (Turkish: Ahır Dağı) is a mountain located in Kahramanmaraş Province, southern Turkey, rising up to 2,344 m (7,690 ft) .

Mount Ahır
View of the western side of Mt. Ahir from Kahramanmaraş-Andırın Road
Highest point
Peak	2,339 m (7,674 ft)
Elevation	450 m (1,480 ft)
Coordinates	37.65°N 37.03°E / 37.65; 37.03
Dimensions
Area	344.85 km2 (133.15 sq mi)
Geography
Mount Ahır
Country	Turkey
Region	Mediterranean

Geography

Mount Ahir is a flat-shaped mountain mass extending in the east-west direction on the Southeastern Taurus Mountains. It is named after an ancient Kahramanmaraş in the north and northwest directions. It is bordered in the west by Ceyhan River.^[1]

Geology and hydrology

It was formed by bending as a result of tectonic movemnets. It rises up to 2,344 m (7,690 ft) from a plateau of about 450 m (1,480 ft) high. The mountain consists of largely limestone. Rain and melting snow waters penetrating into the porous structure of the limestone emerge as springs at the mountain foot, which are used as drinking water resource for the city of Kahramanmaraş. Shallow lakes are found at the plains in the high parts of the mountain. The "Karagöl" at 1,600 m (5,200 ft) elevation is the largest of them.^[1]

Flora and fauna

Although deteriorated by human, the mountain's nature has still a rich vegetation. The richness in plant species diversity as a result of being a transition area of the Mediterranean Region to the Irano-Turanian Region flora and changing altitude and climate values. On mountain slopes, red pine forests grew up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft), cedar forests between 1,200–2,000 m (3,900–6,600 ft), juniper species between 1,000–1,400 m (3,300–4,600 ft), broad-leaved tree communities between 1,000–1,300 m (3,300–4,300 ft) in the northwest.^[2] The flora is also composed of degraded oak, high mountain steppes and seasonal vegetation. The red pine forests are situated on the northern side of the mountain. On the southern mountain slopes, there are vineyards and orchards. The mountain contains 36 plant species endemic to the country. Three of them are found only at Mount Ahır.^[1]

The mountain area is habitat for 13 butterfly species, including Polyommatus theresiae, a species found in the Mediterranean region.^[1]

See also

• Yedikuyular Ski Resort

References

1. "Ahır Dağı" (PDF) (in Turkish). Doğa Derneği. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
2. "Kahramanmaraş Ahir Dağı Bitki Örtüsünün Biyoiklim Katları Doğrultusunda İncelenmesi" (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2022.