Radar Scan at Turkey's Durupinar Site Claims to Find Man-Made Structure Below
A radar survey at Turkey's Durupinar Formation has produced preliminary findings that researchers say point to a man-made structure underground, reigniting debate over the site's possible connection to the biblical Noah's Ark.
Researchers using a subsurface radar system at Turkey's Durupinar Formation say preliminary scans suggest a man-made structure lies beneath the site, long linked to the biblical Noah's Ark. The findings are not yet peer-reviewed. Drill samples are being tested for organic material such as wood.
Should major excavation at Durupinar proceed before independent peer review?
- Yes
- No opinion
- No
The Durupinar Formation, a boat-shaped geological feature near Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey, has drawn archaeological and religious interest since Turkish Army Captain Ilhan Durupinar brought it to wider attention in 1959. Its dimensions are reported to closely match the measurements of Noah's Ark as described in the Hebrew Bible, though no definitive archaeological evidence of a vessel has ever been confirmed there. According to The Jerusalem Post, the organization Noah's Ark Scans received Turkish government permission in 2026 to conduct invasive excavations at the site, and has now used a subsurface imaging system called BakhtarRadar to survey the formation. The preliminary report by its developer, Dr. Khosrow Bakhtar, claims the features detected - described as linear patterns, angular intersections, layered structures, and possible voids - are consistent with corridors, compartments, and internal levels rather than natural geology. NAS has stated publicly that these findings confirm a man-made structure lies beneath the surface. Those claims have not been independently verified or subjected to peer review. Skeptics have long challenged the site's significance: a paper from the 1990s co-authored by geologist Lorence Collins concluded the formation is a misidentified natural rock structure, with supposed iron brackets traced to weathered volcanic minerals. Drill samples are currently being analyzed for organic material such as petrified wood. The core tension the poll addresses is whether proceeding with major, potentially irreversible excavation is justified while the preliminary findings remain unreviewed by independent scientists - a question that touches on scientific standards, archaeological ethics, and the management of a culturally sensitive site.
Answering yes means you believe the preliminary radar findings and the Turkish government's existing authorization are sufficient grounds to move forward with full excavation now, and that waiting for peer review would cause unnecessary delay at a site of significant historical and cultural interest. Answering no means you think independent peer review of the current findings should come first, so that any large-scale and potentially irreversible digging is guided by verified science rather than unreviewed claims. The poll is trying to surface where people stand on the balance between scientific caution and the urgency of investigation at a disputed and high-profile site.