A recent study conducted by three Turkish and American universities has provided intriguing findings suggesting that human activity occurred at the site believed to be the "ruins of Noah's Ark" in the eastern mountains of Turkey. According to the research, rock and soil samples collected from the area between 5500 and 3000 BC revealed the presence of clayey materials, marine materials, and seafood, leading scientists to speculate about the site's significance. The study, which began in 2021, aims to investigate the theory of the site's connection to the biblical tale of Noah's Ark.

The "Mount Ararat and Noah's Ark Research Team" group, dedicated to scientific research on the ruins, conducted their initial study in December 2022. Located in the Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı, less than 2 miles from the Iran-Turkey border, lies the Durupinar formation. This 538-foot geographic feature, made of limonite, is believed by some to be the petrified remains of Noah's Ark. The team collected nearly 30 rock and soil samples from the site and analyzed them at the Istanbul Technical University.

The dating study revealed that the samples ranged from 3500 to 5000 years old, corresponding to the time frame of 3000 BC, which is considered the most recent point when the catastrophic flood, described in the Bible, is believed to have occurred. According to Prof. Dr. Faruk Kaya, the Vice Rector of Agri Ibrahim Cecen University, the preliminary findings suggest that human activities were present in the region from the Chalcolithic period, approximately between 5500 and 3000 BC.

The dimensions and structure of the Durupinar formation align closely with the biblical description of the ark in the Book of Genesis, which mentions its length of three hundred cubits, width of fifty cubits, and height of thirty cubits. The proximity of the Durupinar site, located 18 miles south of the Greater Mount Ararat summit, corresponds to the biblical account that the ark rested on the seventh month and seventeenth day in that region.

The discovery of the Durupinar formation dates back to 1948 when a Kurdish farmer stumbled upon it, and in 1951, Turkish Army Captain Ilhan Durupinar officially identified the site during a NATO mapping mission. This finding has spurred ongoing discussions among archaeologists, geologists, and religious scholars regarding the authenticity of the biblical accounts associated with Noah and the ark.

Recently, the 7th International Symposium on Mount Ararat and Noah's Ark was held in the area. During the symposium, Prof. Dr. Kaya emphasized the importance of conducting joint research in the Mesopotamian region, as mentioned in the Holy Quran and the Bible, for more conclusive results.

While further investigation is needed to validate the connection between the Durupinar formation and the biblical ark, these findings offer intriguing insights into the potential historical significance of this site dating back to the biblical era. Scientists hope that continued research and exploration will shed more light on the mysteries surrounding Noah's Ark and its role in human history.