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A landscape with a history.
Formed by the collision between the Arabian Plate and the Eurasian Plate — geologically part of the same broad collision system (Africa/Arabia pushing into Eurasia) that also built the Alps and Zagros Mountains, just a different segment of that long boundary.
What makes it remarkable
Mount Elbrus (18,510 ft), a dormant volcano and the highest peak in Europe by most conventional continental boundary definitions. Still tectonically active, with ongoing seismic activity in the region.
Another skyline. Another story.
Fold mountains
Himalayas
Began forming approximately 50 million years ago; still actively rising today.
Fold/volcanic, subduction-driven
Andes
Formation began roughly 200 million years ago, with the modern range's major uplift occurring within the last 25 million years.
Fold/uplift
Rocky Mountains
Primary formation (the Laramide orogeny) occurred roughly 80–55 million years ago.