In mid-October of 2026, the field season at the Durupınar formation in eastern Turkey effectively came to an end. The drilling equipment stopped, and the team packed up its gear. But it is precisely now that the research has entered its most crucial, almost final stage. Hundreds of samples extracted from the depths of the hill, which is about 157 meters long, have been sent for detailed laboratory analysis. Months of radar surveys, electrical resistivity tomography, mapping and drilling have given way to waiting: now the earth must speak in the language of chemistry, mineralogy and organic traces.
The drilling became the turning point of the season. The boreholes reached approximately 20 meters. The researchers note that they did not encounter solid bedrock or a limestone massif. There were cavities — including some filled with mud and water — layers with an elevated organic content, and in one place the drill hit a horizon so hard that it broke the bit. The samples were carefully packaged, recorded by color and structure, and then sent for storage. Now it is precisely these samples that may confirm or refute what for decades remained merely a supposition.
A 3d scale model of the Ark as it currently rests has been completed! This model was built using the GPR Data taken at the site. A huge thank you to Field Tech for helping us build out this very important 3D display.
In parallel, a new way to see the invisible has emerged. University students created a three-dimensional model of the formation based on ground-penetrating radar data. Inside it, lights are installed that show the anomalies recorded by the scans: linear structures, possible corridors, zones of different density. The model was installed in a visitor center near the hill itself. Now anyone can not only look at the elongated slope but also imagine what exactly the researchers are trying to make out beneath the ground.
Noah’s Ark Symposium Day 1 was a huge success. Project Director and archeological professor Dr. Cenker Atila presented defense scientist Dr. Khrosrow Bakhtar’s preliminary results to Turkish officials and to others in attendance as the room filled with awe and discussions
In those same days, the first day of the symposium took place. Professor Cengker Atila, the project leader on the side of Sivas Cumhuriyet University, presented to Turkish officials and participants the preliminary results obtained by Dr. Khosrow Bakhtar — a scientist with many years of experience developing subsurface radar systems. According to the organizers, the audience reacted with lively interest. Andrew Jones, the founder of Noah’s Ark Scans, who has been working on this site for about thirty years, was presented with an award. The team emphasizes: the full results of 2026 will become available after independent expert review.
One of the main arguments of opponents of the ancient-structure hypothesis goes like this: the hill is merely a natural formation that arose because of a rocky obstacle and a mudflow. The researchers respond that the orientation of the formation does not match this — the pointed end faces up the slope, and the rounded end faces down. Moreover, neither the deep scans nor the drilling down to 20 meters revealed a continuous bedrock base.
Now a quiet but decisive stage is beginning. The laboratories will analyze the composition of the soil, look for traces of organic matter, possible remains of wood or other markers. If the data confirm the presence of an artificial structure preserved beneath layers of earth and stone, this could noticeably change the familiar picture of ancient history. The story of the worldwide flood and the ark that came to rest in the mountains of Ararat will cease to be merely a legend and will receive material evidence. And this, in turn, will force a new look at chronology, at how people understood their past, and at the boundaries of what is considered proven.
The Durupınar formation remains a mystery. What was extracted from the ground this autumn may either intensify the intrigue or change its direction. The research has entered a phase in which the answers are already near — and that is precisely why interest in it is only growing.
