Why people keep looking for Noah's Ark in a natural rock formation in Turkey: A scholar of early Christianity explains

Researchers from Sivas Cumhuriyet University in Turkey are examining the possibility that a boat-shaped geological formation in the eastern part of the country could contain the remains of Noah's Ark. This claim has been circulating for nearly seven decades, with a new research team gaining attention through a partnership with a U.S.-based Christian organization that promotes the Durupınar site as Noah's Ark's resting place since 2021.

Although laboratory analysis is still ongoing, researchers have reported some preliminary findings that seem to be consistent with a ship-like structure, while more definitive claims on social media suggest the formation is man-made. The formation, known as Durupınar, was named after the Turkish Army captain who first noticed its boat-like shape in aerial photographs in 1959.

It is located near Doğubayazıt, just a few miles from the Iranian border. Although the formation has been associated with Noah's Ark for nearly seven decades, a team of researchers from Sivas Cumhuriyet University is currently investigating the site to determine whether it is indeed the petrified remains of the biblical ship, as claimed by some.