Has Noah's Ark Finally Been Found? Drilling Begins at Turkey Site With 'Corridors and Chambers' Underground

Drilling has begun at a mysterious boat-shaped formation in eastern Turkey that researchers have long debated as a possible resting place of Noah's Ark, with investigators now seeking physical evidence after scans appeared to reveal 'corridors and chambers' hidden underground.

The Noah's Ark Scans team has started collecting core samples from the Durupinar formation, about 29 kilometres south of Mount Ararat, as part of a permitted scientific investigation involving Turkish researchers. The formation's unusual shape has fuelled speculation for decades, but its identification as the biblical vessel remains unproven.

Noah's Ark Drilling Begins at Durupinar Formation

The Durupinar formation was identified in aerial photographs in 1959 by Turkish Army Captain İlhan Durupinar. Measuring roughly 157 metres, or 515 feet, long, its boat-like outline has repeatedly attracted researchers hoping to connect it to the vessel described in the Book of Genesis.

The 2026 project is being directed in Turkey by Professor Cenker Atila of Sivas Cumhuriyet University's Department of Archaeology. Noah's Ark Scans says the research has received authorisation from relevant Turkish government agencies.

Researchers are taking core samples from inside and outside the formation, with laboratory analysis expected to examine their composition, organic content and geological layers.

Radar Reveals Possible 'Corridors and Chambers'

Interest in the latest investigation has been fuelled by previous ground-penetrating radar surveys, which the team says detected unusual features beneath the surface.

Noah's Ark Scans claims the data show linear features, right-angle intersections and spaces resembling corridors and chambers. Its fundraising campaign previously described one apparent hallway as stretching more than 250 feet.

Those interpretations have not established that the features are man-made, however. Physical sampling and further investigation will be needed to determine what produced the radar anomalies.

Many geologists have historically regarded Durupinar as a natural geological formation rather than the remains of an ancient vessel. Earlier investigations have also failed to establish archaeological evidence proving the formation is Noah's Ark.

Underground Robot 'Gopher' Could Explore Site

The team plans to take its investigation further using a specially designed underground robot called 'Gopher.'

According to Noah's Ark Scans, the robot can be inserted through narrow access points to explore subterranean voids that researchers cannot safely enter. It is equipped to capture high-resolution footage inside the formation, while the wider project will analyse samples recovered during drilling.

The investigation marks a shift from interpreting remote scans towards obtaining physical material that can be tested.

Expedition Member Says 'Darwinism Will Be Dismantled'

Lauren Witzke, the project's director of marketing and fundraising, made sweeping claims about what she believes the expedition could ultimately reveal.

'Core drilling has begun and the Big Bang Evolutionists are already on damage control mode,' Witzke wrote in an update from the site.

'When we are done, university curriculums will need to be re-written, and Darwinism will be dismantled. This is the place where creation began anew.'

Witzke has also argued that geological evidence around the world supports a catastrophic global flood.

Her claims go considerably beyond what the drilling has established. The team's recovered samples still require laboratory testing, while the underground anomalies have not been demonstrated to be parts of a ship.

Professor Atila said detailed soil analyses are expected to provide additional information that could help researchers better understand the true nature of the Durupinar formation.