Kaçkar mountains or Kaçkar Dağları or simply Kaçkar(s) is a mountain range rising above along the Black Sea coast in Eastern Turkey. With highest peak Kaçkar Dağı (elevation 3937 metres), and mountain plateaus at about 3000m elevation, it is the highest part of Pontic mountains. Kackars are glaciated mountains of alpine character, with steep rocky peaks and numerous mountain lakes.

Geography and nomenclature

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The name Kaçkar (from the Armenian khachkar) may be used in various sense. It may describe the whole mountain range, including many mountain groups. Or it may describe the Kaçkar-Kavron group with the highest peak. Or just the highest peak itself. The local name of the highest peak or its mountain group Kaçkar Dağı translates Kackar mountain and the name of the range Kaçkar Dağları translates Kackar mountains.

From the south and east, Kackar is bordered by river Çoruh valley. From the north, by Black Sea coast.

Major mountain groups

• Altıparmak group
• Kavron (or Kaçkar-Kavron)
• Verçenik group

See also

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• Rize
• Khachkar

References

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• Tunç Fındık (2001) Kaçkar Dağları, Homer Kitabevi, Istanbul. ISBN 975-8293-18-4 (in Turkish) - the only existing mountaineering guide

Mountains of Turkey