‘We’re all in the same boat,’ Noah's Ark researcher tells ‘Post’ at Turkey’s Durupinar site

The Jerusalem Post visited the Durupinar formation in eastern Turkey, a boat-shaped mound believed by some to be the resting place of Noah's Ark. The visit followed the 2026 fieldwork season by Noah's Ark Scans (NAS), which conducted core drilling and radar scans. The team drilled 12 holes inside the formation and four outside, reaching depths of about 20 meters without hitting bedrock. A drill bit broke after hitting an unidentified object. Soil samples were sent to universities including Bar-Ilan for testing, with a final report expected next spring.

The Jerusalem Post visited the Durupinar formation in eastern Turkey, a boat-shaped mound that some researchers believe may be the resting place of Noah's Ark. The visit came after the close of the 2026 fieldwork season by Noah's Ark Scans (NAS), during which the team conducted core drilling and new radar scans. The team, led by Andrew Jones and working under archaeologist Cenker Atila of Sivas Cumhuriyet University, drilled 12 holes inside the formation and four outside, reaching depths of about 20 meters without hitting bedrock. A drill bit broke after hitting an unidentified object. Soil samples were sent to several universities, including Bar-Ilan University, for testing, with a final report expected next spring. The project brings together Jews, Christians, and Muslims, a point emphasized by Israeli lawyer and researcher Ohav Cohen, who said the shared pursuit of a story that belongs to all humanity is meaningful at a time of division.