Drilling has begun at a site in Turkey that some scientists and researchers claim is the resting place of Noah’s Ark, the ship described in the Book of Genesis.
Scientists affiliated with universities in Turkey and the US-based “Noah’s Ark Scans” project began work at the Durupinar Site, a boat-shaped formation located near Mt Ararat, on September 21.
The Durupinar Site was discovered by a shepherd in 1948 following intense rainstorms and earthquakes, and was given its name in honour of Turkish Army Captain Ilhan Durupinar, who identified it in an aerial photograph in 1959.
In the Bible, Noah is instructed by God to build an ark out of gopherwood that is 300 cubits long by 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits tall. Depending on the definition of a cubit, this would equate to a structure that is between 450 and 510 feet long, 75 to 85 feet wide and about 37 to 51 feet tall.
The Durupinar Site is approximately 515 to 538 feet long. According to Andrew Jones, the founder of Noah’s Ark Scans, the soil at the site has “extremely high levels of potassium”, which would be consistent with the presence of decomposing lumber. Additionally, Turkey’s “extremely cold climate” means that parts of the ark could have been petrified and preserved, as the area “spends almost six months out of the year completely frozen”.
In April, Noah’s Ark Scans claimed that “advanced underground scans” had revealed the presence of a boat at the Durupinar Site, and that “Soon we will show it all to the world.”
A GiveSendGo page raising funds for the project claims that “radar has already mapped what looks like corridors and chambers under the surface, including one hallway that runs more than 250 feet”.
Digging will continue until the ground freezes, said the page, and then will not be possible to restart until 2027.
Lauren Witzke, a Christian activist, filmmaker and former Senate candidate who now does marketing and fundraising for Noah’s Ark Scans, has been posting updates on the drilling progress on X.
“Core drilling has begun and the Big Bang Evolutionists are already on damage control mode,” she wrote on September 21.
The “Big Bang” theory for the creation of the universe was first proposed in 1927 by Belgian priest Fr Georges Lemaître, who theorised that the universe came from a “primeval atom”.
Witzke continued: “No other study in the history of the Durupinar Site has been conducted with official permits and oversight of Turkish Universities,” adding, “Some of the most brilliant minds in the world are a part of this 2026 Expedition. This is the only study that matters.”
On Wednesday, Witzke reported that a drill bit had shattered after coming in contact with a “layer beneath the surface that was harder than limestone. No bedrock has been detected and now the researchers and scientists are testing the layer for petrified or mineralised wood.”
The drill bit was later repaired and drilling continued. A “Gopher” drone has been sent down twice to record footage and collect soil samples for testing.
