
A boat-shaped formation called the Durupinar
site was discovered more than 40 years ago from
aerial photographs
published in a Life Magazine
Article in 1960. There are some Creationists,
such as the now deceased Ron
Wyatt, who believe this boat-shaped mound is the remains
of Noah's ark. The site has been declared a national park by
the Turkish government, and is now equipped with an
official
museum. There are several compelling pieces of evidence suggesting
it to be the ark built by Noah including the fact that it closely matches
the Biblical description of its length.
The
unusual geologic formations in the region of the Durupinar site
are apparently the result of mudflows. Mudflows are a typical feature
of volcanic mountains that have risen to an elevation that causes glaciation
of the peak. Subsequent eruptions or volcanic activity will melt the
glacier and induce rapid deposition and erosion at the foot of the
mountain, such as those that occurred at Mt. St.
Helens. It is most likely
that the ark of Noah has decomposed completely since the flood, however,
if it were buried under such a mudflow, it could possibly have been
petrified beneath. Unfortunately, excavations through industrialization
are not likely to happen in such a remote region, and if buried its
discovery may never occur unless exposed by a major natural erosion event.
The picture to the right is very
telling of the Durupinar site. Although the shape of this find is very unusual, it is not unique to the region. There
are other similar formations nearby and all are apparently the
result of solidified mudflows. The arrows in the referenced
photo point to similar boat shapes formed in the nearby topography.
A much
larger version of this picture can also be found seen. It
should also be noted that most creationists
do not believe the Durupinar site is the ark. It is best
to view this discovery with skepticism until a complete excavation
can be performed.