Kenneth Glad
Ancient artwork and modern scanning have drawn attention to a disputed site in eastern Turkey. The argument remains unresolved, with belief, interpretation and geology pulling in different directions.
A detail on a 1587 world map has revived public interest in the Durupınar Formation, a boat-shaped site in eastern Turkey long linked by some Ark-search groups to Noah’s Ark.
According to the Daily Mail, the image appears on a vast illustrated map created by Italian cartographer Urbano Monte.
The map, now preserved by Stanford University’s David Rumsey Map Center, shows the Ark in the mountains of Ararat, the region associated with the flood story in Genesis.
The observation has drawn attention because Durupınar lies roughly 18 miles south of Mount Ararat.
Supporters of the Ark theory argue that the formation’s outline resembles a vessel and broadly matches biblical measurements often estimated at about 515 feet long and 86 feet wide.
The map reflects an old tradition
Monte’s planisphere was made during the Age of Exploration, when European mapmakers often mixed geography with religion, folklore and reports from distant lands.
His work was assembled from 60 sheets and forms a circular map nearly 10 feet wide.
Unlike many maps from the period, it places the Arctic at the center. The artwork includes ships, sea creatures, distant kingdoms and biblical scenes, making the Ark image historically interesting but not archaeological proof.
As Daily Express noted, renewed attention came after online accounts compared Monte’s drawing with the Durupınar site.
One widely shared post came from Jimmy Corsetti, a creator known for discussing ancient-history theories, who wrote: “The same location as the Durupinar site, virtually the exact same length. Coincidence?”
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His comment helped spread the claim online, though it did not add scientific evidence.
The site remains disputed
The Durupınar Formation became widely discussed in the 20th century after weather and earthquakes reportedly exposed more of its outline. Daily Mail writes that Ark-search researchers have continued to examine the site using modern scanning tools.
The Noah’s Ark Scans group claims ground-penetrating radar has detected aligned voids and tunnel-like spaces beneath the surface. Andrew Jones told GB News:
“What’s interesting is that these voids are lining up below the ground, and they’re not just random. These tunnels also follow a pattern. GPR is just a way to look below the soil using radar.”
The group has also pointed to infrared thermography as possible support for a buried ship-like shape.
Many geologists remain unconvinced, arguing that radar anomalies can occur naturally in layered rock and sediment.
A 1996 analysis by Lorence Collins and David Fasold described the formation as natural, with supposed man-made features explained by tilted sedimentary layers and mineral deposits including limonite and magnetite.
No peer-reviewed archaeological study has confirmed that the Durupınar Formation contains Noah’s Ark.
Sources: Stanford University’s David Rumsey Map Center, Daily Mail, Daily Express, GB News
