Fresh drilling and underground scans at a boat-shaped rock formation in eastern Türkiye have reignited global speculation that the legendary vessel described in Genesis might lie buried beneath the slopes near Mount Ararat.
The focus of the renewed interest is the Durupınar Formation, a 160-meter-long, hull-shaped mound first identified in 1959 in the mountains of Ağrı province. Over the decades, amateur explorers and some evangelical groups have promoted the site as a possible resting place of Noah’s Ark, while many geologists have regarded it as a natural geological feature. Recent coverage in international outlets has highlighted new radar images and tunnel-like anomalies beneath the formation, with some team members now arguing the structure is “100 percent” man-made rather than a product of erosion or landslides.
The latest phase of work is being carried out by the Noah’s Ark Scans project, led by American evangelical tour guide Andrew Jones alongside Turkish academic partners. According to project updates and interviews with local media, an international team of about 20 archaeologists, geologists and soil scientists began intensive surveying of Durupınar on June 28, aiming to complete the initial field season by September 11. Ground-penetrating radar has been used to map what researchers describe as three deck-like levels and a 4-meter tunnel beneath the formation, and core drilling has started to retrieve physical samples from deeper layers.
Video shared by the team shows researchers entering cavities within the formation and collecting core samples from a 515-foot section of the structure. In comments reported by science outlets, one participant said they had “so far recovered layers of rich organic material that we believe could be the decayed top-tier remains of the Ark,” while stressing that laboratory analysis has not yet been completed. Another researcher told a Turkish news agency that “current data increases the likelihood that it is Noah’s ark with each passing day,” but added that more detailed results would be published only after months of testing and that a comprehensive academic report is not expected until 2027.
The project has drawn particular attention after members of the team told the British tabloid Daily Mail they had “100 percent confirmed” that the Durupınar Formation is a man-made structure. Those statements, amplified by viral social media posts, have fueled headlines claiming Noah’s Ark itself has been definitively found. Independent scientists quoted in other outlets, however, have cautioned that the scans and preliminary drilling results have not yet undergone peer review or formal publication in archaeological journals, and that identifying a structure as artificial is only the first step in assessing its age, function and historical significance.
Team members say the work is taking place under the oversight of Turkish authorities and local universities. In a lifestyle feature on the New York Post’s website, expedition member Ryan Witzke described the effort as involving “some of the most brilliant minds in the world” and noted that the group has government approval to drill and deploy an underground robot at the site. Background documents from European cultural heritage databases explain that under Turkish law, the state claims ownership of cultural property found within its borders, suggesting that any eventual identification of a major ancient structure at Durupınar would be managed as a national heritage matter rather than solely by private or religious groups.
The Durupınar investigations unfold against a long history of dramatic Noah’s Ark announcements that later faced serious scrutiny. In the early 2010s, Hong Kong-based Noah’s Ark Ministries International publicized a separate site on Mount Ararat, releasing video from a wooden structure they claimed was part of the Ark. A later review by the Associates for Biblical Research, a Christian apologetics and archaeology ministry, concluded that without independent verification and transparent data, such claims remained unproven and that “the jury is still out” on that location. Many biblical archaeology scholars now approach new Ark-related discoveries with caution, urging clear stratigraphic evidence, radiocarbon dating and open access to sites before endorsing extraordinary conclusions.
For now, the Durupınar project remains in an exploratory phase. Noah’s Ark Scans has stated in project updates that its immediate priority is to complete geophysical surveys and core drilling, not to launch a full-scale excavation, and that any future dig would depend on the results of ongoing tests and the decisions of Turkish heritage officials. University partners have indicated that they expect to release more detailed findings within the next two to three months, followed by academic publications. Until then, the site near Mount Ararat will continue to attract interest from pilgrims, tourists and skeptics alike, while the question behind the latest headlines—whether this is Noah’s Ark or another intriguing but unrelated ancient structure—remains unanswered.