READ: Scientific Team Probes Durupinar Formation for Potential Human Construction
High in the rugged terrain of eastern Turkey, nestled just three kilometers from the Iranian border and 6,500 feet above sea level, lies a geological anomaly that has sparked decades of speculation. Known as the Durupinar Formation, this boat-shaped landmass has been hailed by many as the possible resting place of one of the most famous vessels in human history—Noah’s Ark.
Now, a new wave of scientific inquiry may bring us closer than ever to the truth.
Durupinar Formation image from Wikipedia.
The site, long regarded by biblical literalists and adventurers as the Ark's final berth, is once again in the spotlight thanks to renewed efforts by a California-based research group, Noah's Ark Scans. The team, working in partnership with Turkish universities, is preparing to launch a series of advanced, non-destructive tests in a bid to determine once and for all whether the Durupinar Formation is a natural feature or a man-made relic from the antediluvian world.
“The location lies in an active earth flow with harsh winters, so protecting the area is our top priority,” said researcher Andrew Jones in an interview with The Sun. “Over the next few years, our Turkish university partners will conduct soil sampling, radar scans, and other methods to determine if the structures we’ve detected are truly man-made or simply natural formations.”
The team is cautious, emphasizing that no excavation will occur until there’s substantial evidence and a robust preservation plan in place.
In early 2025, momentum around the Durupinar Formation intensified when a study offered compelling data linking the site to the time period of the biblical Great Flood. Researchers collected and analyzed 30 samples of soil and rock from the area. These were found to contain marine deposits, clay-like substances, and even tiny shellfish fossils dating back roughly 3,500 to 5,000 years.
“Our studies show that this region harbored life during that period and, at some point, it was covered by water,” noted the international research team. “This reinforces the possibility that a catastrophic event of great magnitude occurred.”
While these findings don’t definitively prove the existence of Noah’s Ark, they do support the idea that the region experienced a massive flood consistent with the ancient account in Genesis.
Despite growing excitement, the Durupinar Formation remains a site shrouded in mystery. There is still no "smoking gun" — no carved timber, no inscriptions, no irrefutable artifact that can confirm the Ark once stood there. Yet, for those who believe, the formation’s dimensions and location bear striking similarities to the biblical description: a vessel 300 cubits long, settled upon the “mountains of Ararat.”
With new technology and interdisciplinary research at their disposal, scientists may soon uncover answers hidden beneath the ancient earth.
