Core Drilling Begins at Suspected Noah’s Ark Site in Türkiye

Researchers have begun a new phase of investigation at the Durupınar formation in eastern Türkiye, a 515-foot boat-shaped site near Mount Ararat that has long been proposed by some researchers as a possible location of Noah’s Ark.

The current project is being conducted under Turkish authorization and is directed by Prof. Dr. Cenker Atila of Sivas Cumhuriyet University in cooperation with Noah’s Ark Scans. The 2026 field program includes radar imaging, soil analysis, GPS mapping, deep core sampling and planned interior imaging using a small custom exploration device.

According to the research team, core drilling has now reached depths of up to about 18 meters, or nearly 60 feet. Samples collected from inside and outside the formation are being preserved for laboratory comparison.

The team says some cores contain layers rich in organic material and that drilling has also encountered subsurface cavities. In one borehole, the drill struck a layer roughly 4 to 5 meters beneath the surface that was hard enough to break the drill bit.

Researchers have suggested that petrified or highly mineralized wood is one possible explanation for that layer, but that has not been established. Third-party laboratory testing will be needed to determine what the material actually is.

Previous radar surveys at Durupınar have also produced linear and angular subsurface anomalies that the project team interprets as possible corridors or compartment-like structures. Radar anomalies alone, however, cannot establish that the formation is man-made or identify it as a vessel.

The Durupınar site has been debated for decades. Earlier geological work has argued that the formation is natural, while Ark researchers have continued to point to its dimensions, unusual shape and geophysical anomalies as reasons for further investigation.

The significance of the current work is that researchers are now moving beyond remote imaging and collecting physical samples that can be tested in laboratories. The team says more detailed analysis is expected over the coming months, with further fieldwork planned.

At this stage, there is no scientific confirmation that the formation is Noah’s Ark. What researchers now have is a new set of physical evidence that can be tested against both the archaeological interpretation and the natural-geology explanation.

Sources:
Noah’s Ark Scans / GlobeNewswire
Noah’s Ark Scans — 2026 Research Project
National Geographic — Background on the Search for Noah’s Ark