A strange, boat-like formation tucked into the mountains of eastern Turkey has for decades been written off by skeptics as a natural slab of rock.
But researchers examining the Durupınar Formation, located near Mount Ararat, say the site may be far more intriguing — and could potentially hold traces of what some believe is Noah’s Ark.
In the biblical account, the vast wooden vessel carried Noah, his family and pairs of every animal through a devastating flood, an event some biblical timelines date to more than 4,300 years ago.
Fresh radar imaging has now identified notable underground anomalies and layered structures within the 515-foot-long formation, raising questions about the long-held view that it is simply a single, uniform body of rock.
The survey was led by Dr Khosrow Bakhtar using BakhtarRadar, a specialist imaging technology developed from US Air Force research, allowing the team to scan deeper beneath the formation than previous investigations.
Andrew Jones, founder of Noah’s Ark Scans and a member of the research team, said the deeper data reviewed so far has not yet shown a clear separation between the formation itself and the bedrock below it.
Researchers are continuing to study the radar results and plan to use the findings to choose precise core-drilling sites, a step they hope will reveal what is actually buried beneath the surface.
‘We believe the Durupınar Formation is the remains of Noah’s Ark, and that is exactly why we want to put it through the strongest scientific testing we can,’ Jones said.
However, the researchers acknowledged that the results are preliminary and that radar anomalies alone do not prove the formation has an archaeological origin.
A new radar survey has detected strong subsurface anomalies and distinct layers inside the 515-foot-long formation, challenging the idea that it is one homogeneous block of rock
Bakhtar shared: ‘My team and I are carefully evaluating the collected subsurface data, which aids in planning the core drilling pattern to be performed at the site.
‘We will use BakhtarRadar’s unique capability to directly distinguish any still preserved petrified, man-worked timbers from the natural host formation and its varying mineralogy.’
The team expects to release a preliminary technical report in the coming weeks identifying the strongest anomalies, providing a clearer view of the underlying geology and determining the best locations for targeted core drilling.
The samples would allow researchers to test the radar findings against physical evidence from inside the formation.
Located just 18 miles south of Mount Ararat, Turkey’s highest peak, the Durupinar Formation has only been known to the modern world for less than a century.
According to local reports, heavy rains and earthquakes in May 1948 washed away the surrounding mud, revealing the mysterious formation. It was then discovered by a Kurdish shepherd.
The Bible states that Noah’s Ark came to rest on the ‘mountains of Ararat’ after a 150-day flood that drowned the Earth and every living creature not sheltered inside the wooden vessel.
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A mysterious geological formation perched high in the mountains of Turkey could be the site where Noah’s Ark landed around 4,300 years ago
The radar captured ‘a series of right angles’ about 20 feet down, which researchers believe could be the rooms that held animals on the ark
What is intriguing is that the formation sits near a mountain with a peak that some believe matches the ark’s shape and dimensions.
According to biblical measurements, the ark was ‘300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high,’ roughly 515 feet long, 86 feet wide and 52 feet tall.
The idea that the ark landed on Mount Ararat has long sparked debate.
While many scientists argue that the formation is a naturally occurring geological feature, others are convinced it points to something far more extraordinary.
The team at Noah’s Ark Scans firmly believes the latter.
Jones has been investigating the site since 2016, using ground-penetrating radar to see deeper underground, finding what he believes is a network of ‘corridors’ converging on a hollow central chamber he dubbed the atrium.
He linked the discovery to the Bible’s description of the Ark, which states the boat contained three internal levels built to shelter Noah, his family and pairs of animals.
‘God told Noah to bring the animals in. And so these animals would have stayed there, plus Noah and his family,’ Jones told GB News.
Just 18 miles south of Mount Ararat, Turkey’s tallest peak, the Durupinar Formation emerged less than a century ago
A team of American researchers working at the Durupınar Formation near Mount Ararat has uncovered evidence of hidden tunnels as described in the biblical account
‘What’s interesting is that these voids are lining up below the ground – and they’re not just random. These tunnels also follow a pattern. GPR is just a way to look below the soil using radar.’
He added that further studies using infrared thermography (IRT), a heat-sensing technology that can uncover hidden structures underground, have also suggested the presence of a ship-shaped hull buried deep in the soil.
Jones told GB News that he and his team collected 88 samples from inside and outside of the ship in 2024.
Soil testing in the area showed extremely high levels of potassium, consistent with massive amounts of decomposed lumber.
‘However, due to the extremely cold climate, many parts of the Ark are still intact and petrified. It spends almost six months out of the year completely frozen,’ Noah’s Ark Scans explained in an X post.
In 2024, Jones revealed that he and his team uncovered angular structures as deep as 20 feet beneath the surface, features that could represent rooms below a deck-like platform.
The researchers added further studies using infrared thermography (IRT), a heat-sensing technology that can uncover hidden structures underground, have also suggested the presence of a ship-shaped hull buried deep in the soil
According to the Bible, the massive vessel saved humanity and every kind of animal from annihilation during a catastrophic flood more than 4,300 years ago
In Genesis 6:14, the Bible describes the ark: ‘Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.’
‘This is not what you’d expect to see if the site were simply a solid block of rock or the result of random mudflow debris,’ Jones told The Christian Broadcasting Network.
‘But it is exactly what you’d expect to find if this were a man-made boat, consistent with the biblical specifications of Noah’s Ark.’
The team has also performed soil testing, uncovering what Jones described as ‘some interesting things.’
‘We noticed that the grass growing within the boat-shaped formation is a different color compared to the area just outside it,’ Jones said, suggesting this could point to a man-made origin rather than a natural one.
William Crabtree, another member of Noah’s Ark Scans, added that a tunnel appears to run from the tip of the formation toward the middle, and it is large enough to walk through.
‘The ultimate goal is not just soil test, which is great, or GPR scans, but to get inside the ship somehow,’ Jones told Patterns of Evidence.
‘Core drilling, getting samples deep inside of it to where we see the substructure, these voids, put a camera in it. This is an opportunity coming up that possibly will allow us to do that next season.
‘Whatever happens, whenever God opens doors, we will continue working on the site.’
