In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim’s ark comes to rest on Mount Nisir.
The mountain appears in the flood narrative on Tablet XI of the Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh. After the storm and flood subside, the boat becomes lodged on Mount Nisir, allowing Utnapishtim to release birds to determine whether the waters have receded.
Mount Nisir is often identified with a mountain in the Zagros range, sometimes associated with modern Pir Omar Gudrun in Iraqi Kurdistan. It is not the same mountain named in the biblical account of Noah’s ark, which refers to the mountains of Ararat.
The flood episode in Gilgamesh shares important features with other ancient Mesopotamian flood traditions, especially the Atrahasis story. However, the names, wording, and narrative details differ between the surviving versions.