Researchers say formation near Ağrı may be Noah’s Ark

AĞRI

The new study used the BakhtarRadar subsurface radar system to identify layers and anomalies deep beneath the Durupınar Formation.

An international team studying the Durupınar Formation near Mount Ağrı claim that the ship-shaped structure may not simply be a rock but could be the remains of Noah’s Ark.

Located 29 kilometers south of Mount Ağrı, Türkiye’s highest mountain at 5,137 meters, the ship-shaped Durupınar Formation has long divided opinion. Andrew Jones, founder of the U.S.-based Noah’s Ark Scans research group, claims that the formation could be Noah’s Ark based on analyses of 88 soil samples collected from the site in 2024.

Many scientists, however, argue that the Durupınar Formation is a geological structure created by natural processes. The debate has now drawn the attention of Iranian-born scientist Dr. Khosrow Bakhtar, an expert in geomechanics, electromagnetism and subsurface radar technologies.

According to the Daily Mail, a team led by Bakhtar has said that the Durupınar Formation could contain remains of Noah’s Ark.

The study reportedly used a specialized imaging system known as BakhtarRadar, developed through research associated with the U.S. Air Force, to examine areas deeper underground than previous surveys.

The team said it detected strong subsurface anomalies and distinct layers within the 157-meter-long formation, challenging the view that it is a single homogeneous rock mass.

“My team and I are evaluating the subsurface data. With the capabilities of BakhtarRadar, we will distinguish petrified, man-made timber from natural bedrock formations,” Bakhtar said.

The new study led by Bakhtar reportedly used the BakhtarRadar subsurface radar system to identify layers and anomalies deep beneath the Durupınar Formation.

The electromagnetic technology can produce three-dimensional images of underground structures without physically excavating the site, and the team said it had obtained significant digital data from the Durupınar area.

Jones, who has been working for years to prove that the Durupınar Formation is Noah’s Ark, said the “ultimate goal is to enter the ship,” adding that permission from Türkiye would be required to do so.

According to the biblical account, Noah, his family and animals of every kind survived a great flood aboard the ark around 4,300 years ago.