A new scientific expedition investigating the controversial Durupınar formation near Mount Ararat has produced an unexpected development: a drilling bit reportedly broke after striking an extremely hard underground layer inside the boat-shaped formation.
Researchers with Noah’s Ark Scans say the 2026 expedition has now moved beyond radar images and surface surveys, with permitted core drilling taking place both inside and outside the formation. The team is collecting physical samples that will undergo laboratory testing in an effort to determine what lies beneath the unusual structure.
The development has immediately renewed attention on one of the world’s most enduring archaeological mysteries.
Durupınar is a massive, 157-meter-long formation—roughly 515 feet—that resembles the shape of a ship. It was identified in 1959 by Turkish Army Capt. İlhan Durupınar and has attracted researchers, religious scholars and skeptics for decades.
