Fact Check: Has Noah’s Ark been found? Boat-shaped ruins believed to be the historical scripture

Noah’s Ark, the ship in the Genesis flood from the Bible, has become a topic of discussion after scientists placed humans at the site of what is believed to be the ruins of the vessel in the eastern mountains of Turkey.

A team excavating a geological formation in Turkey extracted aged rock and soil samples. They have determined that “clayey materials, marine materials, and seafood” were present in the area between 5500 and 3000 BC, as per the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.

The Mount Ararat and Noah’s Ark Research Team is comprised of three Turkish and American universities, and their project began in 2021. The group was created for scientific research on the ruins after its structure was damaged due to landslides.

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Scientists claim samples from ‘Noah’s Ark’ site in Turkey reveal human activity

The Durupinar formation lies in the Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı, located less than two miles from the Iran-Turkey border. It is a 538-foot geographic feature made of limonite, believed by some locals to be the remnants of Noah’s Ark.

According to Biblical legend, Noah had loaded his family and “every living thing of all flesh” onto a 150-meter-long ark to save the creatures from the apocalyptic flooding that drowned the Earth (Genesis 6:19).

In the Book of Genesis, the mountains of Ararat are the region in which Noah's Ark came to rest after the Great Flood, which in the New Ages is now eastern Turkey. The mountain stands at 16,500 feet and is carved out like an ark. It is the highest peak in Turkey.

A team of archaeologists led by Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Andrew University, and Agri Ibrahim Cecen University (AICU) have been working at the site since their first study in December 2022. They have collected samples that they believe hold the key to confirming the story of Noah's Ark.

According to the Mount Ararat and Noah’s Ark Research Team, their results have stated that human activity was present on the boat-shaped mountain between 5500 and 3000 BC, as per Hürriyet.

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The expedition team's scientist speaks about their findings

Agri Ibrahim Cecen University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Faruk Kaya stated that,

"According to the first findings obtained from the studies, it is thought that there have been human activities in the region since the Chalcolithic period, that is, between the years 5500 and 3000 BC. It is known that the flood of Prophet Noah went back 5 thousand years ago."

The team collected 30 samples of rock and soil fragments that the ITU laboratory later analyzed, per the New York Post. He added,

"In terms of dating, it is stated that there was life in this region as well. This was revealed in the laboratory results. It is not possible to say that the ship is here with the dating. We need to work for a long time to reveal this."

The holy texts of three religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, have all made references to Noah's Ark. Scientists have yet to determine the authenticity of the stories.

Faruk Kaya spoke at a conference that took place in the area titled The 7th International Symposium on Mount Ararat and Noah’s Ark, saying,

"An important point of the symposium is that we have decided that more effective results can be obtained by conducting joint research in Cudi and Ararat, which we know as the Mesopotamian region, mentioned in the Holy Quran and the Bible."

As of now, there has yet to be a clear statement that conclusively proves that the site in Turkey is the same place Noah's Ark is resting.

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According to the Noah’s Ark Scans project, the boat-shaped mound was first discovered by a Kurdish farmer in 1948. The Turkish Army Captain, Ilhan Durupinar, identified the site in 1951 while flying over the area on a NATO mapping mission.