Archaeology & History

New scans reveal anomalies at 'Noah's Ark' formation in Turkey

By T.K. Randall
August 22, 2026

Image: Durupinar Formation
Credit: Zorka Sojka / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) The site, which has long been rumored to be the final resting place of Noah's Ark, is situated approximately 3km north of the Iranian border and around 6,500ft above sea level.

Researchers from all over the world have investigated the site over the years, but the question of whether it really is the final resting place of the biblical vessel, or simply a natural formation, remains up in the air.

The most recent such investigation, which is being headed up by Dr Khosrow Bakhtar and Noah's Ark Scans founder Andrew Jones, has been using a specialised radar system used by the US Air Force to build up a picture of what lies beneath the surface.

"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," said Dr. Bakhtar."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."

So far, the scans have revealed some tantalizing anomalies and evidence of distinct layers within the formation, suggesting that it is not simply a solid mass of rock.

"We believe the Durupinar 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," said Jones.

The story of Noah's Ark itself remains a topic of heated debate - while many believe that the story of Noah and the Great Flood did actually occur as written in the Bible, others maintain that it would be physically impossible for this to have ever happened.

The idea that the remains of the biblical vessel even exist at all, therefore, remains contentious.

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Noah, Turkey