Armenia Drops Mount Ağrı Symbol From Border Stamps Amid Normalization Push

The decision, signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sept. 11, introduced dimensional adjustments to the stamps and will take effect on Nov. 1.

While the decree did not explicitly mention Mount Ağrı, also widely known as Mount Ararat, official graphics released alongside it showed that the silhouette, long featured in the design, has been dropped.

Mount Ağrı, located within Turkish territory, has been a powerful national symbol for Armenians, appearing on the country’s coat of arms, currency and cultural works, despite not lying within Armenia’s borders, stirring debate between the two nations.

Historically, Armenians lived in large numbers around the mountain until the early 20th century. Some nationalist groups still argue that the mountain “belongs” to Armenians, but the Pashinyan government has increasingly highlighted Mount Aragats, also known as Mount Alagöz in Turkish – Armenia’s highest peak within its territory – as the centerpiece of national identity.

Pashinyan himself has repeatedly emphasized that Aragats, not Ararat, is Armenia’s highest mountain, even posting images of Aragats during press briefings in recent months – a shift widely interpreted as a recalibration of national rhetoric in light of regional realities. 

Arsen Torosyan, Armenia’s Labor and Social Affairs Minister, defended the update in a Facebook post, stressing that the change was practical rather than political.

“Many countries no longer use passport stamps at all. The new stamps will only include basic crossing information, without any images, including Mount Ararat, in line with global norms,” he wrote.

But other members of the ruling Civil Contract Party acknowledged a political dimension.

Party Secretary Artur Hovhannisyan said the removal was partly intended to avoid sending “dangerous messages” to neighboring countries.

“It is possible that the next step will be the removal of the image of the mountain from other state symbols and seals. Ararat has symbolic meaning, but it does not represent any territorial claims,” he said.

The decision came in the same week as a rare visit by a Turkish delegation led by Ambassador Serdar Kılıç, who crossed into Armenia via the Alican checkpoint in eastern Türkiye — marking the first time in decades that envoys have used a land crossing.

Earlier this month, Pashinyan also suggested that Armenia and Türkiye could move toward reopening their long-closed border.

Pashinyan has previously stressed the need for amicable ties with neighbors.

In 2024, he critiqued references in Armenia's 1990 constitution to Karabakh as Armenian territory and eastern Turkish regions as 'Western Armenia,' stating: "All these expressions cause serious discomfort among our neighbors. Some will call me a traitor again. But if we want to build security and stability in our region, we must stop provoking our surroundings."