Responding to criticism about the removal of Mount Ararat from Armenia’s passport border stamp, Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan asked rhetorically how often people actually open their passports and look at the stamp.
“Excuse me, but how often do you open your passport and check the stamp to spot Ararat?” she said, according to Aysor.am .
For Galyan, Ararat is historically a biblical mountain. She said that when she commutes from the Zeytun district and the weather is clear, her day begins well upon seeing the mountain.
“We live with the idea of not forgetting our historical past, while our outlook is toward the future and grounded in reality,” the minister added.
According to a new government decision, as of November 1, 2025, the image of Mount Ararat will no longer appear on Armenia’s entry and exit stamps. The decision was passed during a Cabinet session as a non-reportable item. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and Civil Contract party board member Arsen Torosyan stated that the stamps were updated to align with modern border-crossing standards and the ideology of a “Real Armenia.”
