It inspired one of the most famous stories from the Bible, allegedly saving mankind and two of every animal during an ancient flood.
And ever since the early days of Christianity, Noah’s Ark has inspired a fleet of devotees who believe it was actually real.
Scientists even think they’ve found the remains of the wooden vessel – and now they want to prove it.
Experts at California firm Noah’s Ark Scans are prepared to dig up Durupinar Formation, a 538-foot-long boat-shaped geological formation in eastern Turkey.
First it will be conducting soil sampling for traces of wood at the site, which is made of a type of iron ore called limonite.
It will also continue to beam down radar waves in an attempt to ‘see’ underground and pick out indications of an Ark-shaped object.
‘The location lies in an active earth flow with harsh winters, so protecting the area is our top priority,’ Andrew Jones, researcher at Noah’s Ark Scans, told the Sun.
‘Over the next few years, our Turkish university partners will conduct non-destructive tests like soil sampling, radar scans, and other methods to determine if the structures we’ve detected are truly man-made or simply natural formations. Only after we gather enough evidence and have a proper preservation plan in place will we consider excavating.’
Scientists say that a large boat-shaped geological structure could be the remains of Noah’s Ark as new evidence shows the area was flooded 5,000 years ago
According to the Bible, Noah’s Ark saved humanity and all the animals from certain annihilation during an ancient flood
Durupinar Formation has long captivated researchers due to the fact that its shape and structure almost match those given for the Ark in the Bible.
Located just 18 miles (30km) south from Mount Ararat, Turkey’s highest peak, Durupinar Formation has only been known about for under a century.
According to local reports, heavy rains and earthquakes exposed the formation from surrounding mud in May 1948 before being discovered by a Kurdish shepherd.
Ever since, the site has drawn believers in the Ark, although interest is really ramping up following the ambitious efforts from Noah’s Ark Scans.
Already, the project has performed tests on 22 soil samples at Durupinar Formation which returned remarkable results.
There was a lower pH, higher organic matter and higher potassium inside the ‘boat shape’ – changes consistent with rotting wood, the team say.
What’s more, the grass inside turns lighter and more yellow in the autumn – something they believe is triggered by a human-made creation.
Already, radar techniques have revealed rectangular shapes around 22ft down within the formation, which could be evidence of a vessel divided up into interior sections.
The Durupinar Formation is a 163-metre (538ft) geological structure made of a type of iron ore called limonite
The Durupinar Formation roughly matches the shape and dimensions of the Ark given in the Bible. Analysis of soil samples from the area suggests that this region was underwater 3,500 to 5,000 years ago, during the supposed time of the biblical flood
Imagery of the Durupinar formation seem to show the dimensions of the vessel – including what seem to be rectangular inner cavities
During the 7th International Symposium on Mount Ararat and Noah’s Ark in 2023, the team presented new evidence in support of their theory.
They took 30 samples of soil and rock from around the Durupinar Formation and sent these to the Istanbul Technical University for analysis.
The tests showed that the soil contains traces of clay-like materials, marine deposits and even the remnants of marine life such as molluscs.
Dating these samples showed that they were between 3,500 and 5,000 years old.
This suggests that the Durupinar Formation and surrounding area were covered by water in a time period consistent with the biblical account.
According to literal interpretations of the Bible, the world was covered with water during the Chalcolithic period – a time stretching from 5500 to 3000 BC.
If true, this would strengthen the claim that the Durupinar Formation is the exact boat used by the Biblical figure Noah to survive the ancient flood.
Named the ‘Mount Ararat and Noah’s Ark Research Team,’ scientists used technology to analyse if the soil has traces of human activity
New research by a team of archaeologists and scientists on the Durupinar formation has captured the attention of those who believe the ship is buried underneath the spot
Besides this new evidence, the main arguments in favour of the Noah’s Ark theory are the shape and location of the Durupinar formation.
In the Bible, Noah is instructed to build a boat which has ‘a length of three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.’
Although conversions from Biblical units are difficult, some scholars have chosen to interpret this as using the standardised Egyptian cubit of 52.4 cm.
Using those units, the length of Noah’s ark would be 515ft (157m) which is close to the 168 metres (538ft) of the Durupinar formation.
Additionally, the biblical account states that the Ark came to rest on the ‘Mountains of Ararat’.
The Durupinar Formation is located just 18 miles south (30km) from Mount Ararat, Turkey’s highest peak.
