Durupinar
Durupinar Site - Photo
Courtesy B.J. Corbin
Durupinar is located below Mount Ararat at the 6,000 foot level.
It is a canoe shaped area that some believe could be the "foot
print" of Noah's Ark. It was made popular in a press a announcement
by the late Ron Wyatt and David Fasold, when it was reported
they had discovered Noah's Ark. The "Noah's Ark" site
consists of an area shaped like a giant canoe. The specifications
are larger than those given in the Bible, but there are those
who believe it to be the final resting place of Noah's Ark.
It was originally discovered by Ilhan Durupinar in October 1959,
who was an engineer in the map branch in the Turkish army. He
informed the Turkish government of his discovery, but drew little
interest at the time. A group from the Archeological Research
Foundation which included George E. Vanderman, Ilhan Durupinar
and Dr. Brandenberger (September 1960) originally surveyed the
site. It is named in honor of its discoverer, Ilhan Durupinar.
There is actually a visitor center at the site.
Orginal Photo of Durupinar Site
Years later, the site was "rediscovered" by Ron Wyatt and David
Fasold. This site was then made popular in the press and reported
as the discovery of "Noah's Ark". However, there are
many who disagree that this is the final resting place of Noah's
Ark. To this day, no documented evidence has been presented
that demonstrates this site as Noah's Ark. Although there are
claims that scientific data exists proving it to be Noah's Ark,
such "scientific" data has never been presented by those making
the claims. The principal argument has been the the canoe like
shape could only be caused by a boat like structure, thus leading
some to draw a conclusion that this is the final resting place
of Noah's Ark. A number of geologists have surveyed this site
and believe it to be a natural formation. The satellite photo
below shows another similar canoe shape. This feature is near
the Durupinar site, but at a slightly higher elevation. There
are a number of these geological impressions in the area.
Another Canoe-Like Object Below Mt. Ararat - Tom
Pickett
Conclusion
Although no conclusive evidence exists proving this to be the
site of Noah's Ark, there is still a need to research this site
and document the research. This should be a priority among researchers
and the surveyed data (including raw data) should be made public.
Further info may be found at Noah's
Ark Search website
Notes Information about Ilhan Durupinar and
the orginal discovery furnished by Dr. Lale Durupinar Ozgen.
