A private research team has announced findings from ground-penetrating radar scans of the Durupınar Formation in eastern Turkey, indicating the presence of a large, organized man-made structure beneath a boat-shaped mound. The scans, conducted by Dr. Khosrow Bakhtar using a system he developed for defense applications, detected internal features including corridors, chambers, and hallways within the formation.
The Durupınar Formation, located in Ağrı Province, has long been a subject of debate regarding its potential connection to the biblical Noah’s Ark. According to the Bible, the vessel saved humanity and animals from a catastrophic flood more than 4,300 years ago. The new radar images, according to Bakhtar, show organized internal features such as repeating lines, angles, and open passageways, which he described as unlike ordinary rock or natural geological formations.
The research group, Noah’s Ark Scans, led by Andrew Jones, stated that preliminary data do not match a simple homogeneous solid-rock signature. "No bedrock or solid limestone has so far been identified in the holes drilled inside the formation," Jones said. The team has not yet identified wood material, as lab-testing results are pending.
The findings challenge a 1996 study by geologist Lorence Gene Collins and Ark researcher David Franklin Fasold, which concluded that the Durupınar Formation is a completely natural rock formation. Fasold, who initially believed the site could be the Ark, cited the structure’s dimensions as matching biblical descriptions before later disputing its artificial nature.
The current project involves drilling and sample collection to determine whether organic material, such as wood, is present within the formation. The team has emphasized that their radar findings do not conclusively identify the structure as Noah’s Ark but indicate an organized man-made object beneath the mound. Further analysis, including laboratory tests on collected samples, is expected to provide additional clarity in the coming weeks.