Moment of pride at 5,137 meters: MAKÜ flag waved at the summit of Mount Ararat.
The road to the summit
Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) flag was carried to Mount Ararat, Turkey's highest point at 5,137 meters. The flag, delivered by Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar on August 7, 2025, was unfurled at the summit at 06:05 on the morning of August 12, 2025, meeting the sky.
The climbing team included Prof. Dr. Erdal Kendüzler, Dr. Ramazan Baş, and Selçuk Soylu. The adventure began from Eli Village in the Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı.
Step by step to the summit
On the first day, the team reached the base camp at an altitude of 3,300 meters after a 3.5-hour walk and spent the night there. The next day, a 4-hour climb was made on a rocky and challenging path towards the second camp at an altitude of 4,200 meters.
On the third day, the journey to the summit, which started just after midnight, continued despite strong winds, dropping temperatures, lack of oxygen, and the glacier layer around 4,900 meters. After a crampon walk, the summit was reached in foggy and windy weather, albeit with a one-hour delay from the plan.
Contribution to Turkish mountaineering from a sports-friendly university
The waving of the MAKÜ flag at the summit of Mount Ararat became a strong indicator of the university's identity as a "Sports-Friendly University." The knowledge and experience gained from this challenging climb will provide valuable contributions to both MAKÜ's sports vision and Turkish mountaineering.
