Full Breakdown
New Radar Findings at Turkey’s Durupinar Formation Revive Noah’s Ark Debate
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In this breakdown
01
Core Discovery
Noah’s Ark Scans, led by founder Andrew Jones, reports that recent ground-penetrating radar scans and drilling at the Durupinar Formation have revealed “voids,” “corridors,” and charred as well as uncharred wood fragments at a depth of roughly 30 feet beneath the surface. The team interprets these anomalies as possible remnants of a large wooden vessel and suggests the site may represent the biblical Noah’s Ark.
02
Background & Context
The Durupinar Formation is a 515-foot-long (157 m) earth mound near Mount Ararat that first appeared in aerial military photographs in 1959. For decades, mainstream geologists and archaeologists have described the mound as a natural erosional feature—mudflows shaping a limestone ridge—rather than a man-made structure. Earlier hypotheses have included glacial sculpting and weathering of a solid limestone block.
03
Data & Statistics
- Length of mound: 515 ft (157 m).
- Depth of wood fragments: ~30 ft below surface.
- Radar imaging identified three distinct underground bands, which the team likens to the three decks described in biblical accounts of the Ark.
04
Official Statements & Responses
- “This is the most significant finding of 45 years of my career. It’s not geologic related, because we masked all the geologic features,” “This is the most significant finding of 45 years of my career. It’s not geologic related, because we masked all the geologic features,” — Bakhtar, described as a veteran US defence scientist.
- “In our holy books, Noah’s Ark had three levels; in our radar studies, we also identified a formation with three levels,” “In our holy books, Noah’s Ark had three levels; in our radar studies, we also identified a formation with three levels,” — Dr Cenker Atila, an archaeologist at Sivas Cumhuriyet University in Turkey.
05
Criticism & Opposition
Mainstream geologists and archaeologists maintain that the Durupinar Formation is a natural feature formed by mudflows around a limestone ridge. They note that wood fragments can be common in an area inhabited for millennia, potentially originating from ancient settlements, outposts, or landslides. Independent, peer-reviewed laboratory analysis—such as carbon dating, microscopy, and mineral testing—has not yet been completed, leaving the Ark claim unverified.