The Zagros are a mountain range in Iran. Basically on the windward side of the range it'll be really wet and on the lee ward side it'll be dry probably even a desert. The warm moist air is forced up the mountain where the cooler temperatures at the top cause condensation so it rains. Dry on the other side. The main range in Turkey are called the Taurus mountains.
An important tool in understanding the actual numerical dates of past geologic events is radioactivity.