A remarkable 16th-century map has drawn fresh attention to the long-running search for Noah’s Ark.
Produced in 1587 by Italian aristocrat and mapmaker Urbano Monte, the enormous chart measures almost 10 feet across once its sections are joined. Its richly detailed design includes continents, imagined beasts and regions that remained largely unknown to Europeans at the time.
Among its many illustrations is a small image of Noah’s Ark positioned on the mountains of Ararat in present-day Turkey—an area that continues to attract researchers looking for evidence of the biblical vessel.
The centuries-old drawing has gained renewed interest online because its apparent location and proportions have been compared with the Durupınar Formation, a boat-shaped site now being examined by an international research team.
Independent researcher Jimmy Corsetti highlighted the similarity in a post online, writing: “The same location as the Durupınar site, virtually the exact same length. Coincidence?”
Researchers studying the Durupınar Formation have claimed that their findings “100 percent confirmed” the mound is not a naturally formed geological structure, describing it instead as a “man-made object.”
Andrew Jones, founder of Noah’s Ark Scans, said preliminary radar readings did not reveal “a simple homogeneous solid-rock signature,” suggesting the formation may contain more complex layers beneath the surface.
The team has taken samples from depths approaching 60 feet. Jones said the material recovered so far includes layers of organic matter that researchers believe may represent the decayed upper remains of the Ark.
A tiny illustration within the map shows Noah’s Ark resting on the mountains of Ararat in modern-day Turkey, the same broad region where many believe the legendary vessel could still be concealed.
Urbano Monte’s 1587 world map spans nearly 10 feet when assembled and features intricate artwork depicting continents, mythical animals and territories then considered unexplored.
Monte designed the map during the Age of Exploration, a period when voyages across the Atlantic and toward Asia were rapidly expanding European knowledge of the world.
Rather than using the more familiar east- or west-facing layout, Monte viewed the globe from above the North Pole, placing the Arctic at the center of his unusual circular design.
The work is made up of 60 individually drawn sheets, which fit together to form a single map nearly 10 feet in diameter.
Its pages are crowded with depictions of sailing ships, sea monsters and other mythical creatures, alongside observations about faraway places and the people who lived there.
Historians say Monte may have been influenced by the arrival of a Japanese delegation in Milan in 1585, an event that offered Europeans a broader view of global geography. The original manuscript is preserved at Stanford University’s David Rumsey Map Center, which digitally restored the work and published it online.
The Ark illustration has attracted particular attention because it places the vessel on Ararat centuries before modern expeditions began investigating the region for possible archaeological clues.
According to the Bible, Noah’s Ark came to rest on the “mountains of Ararat” after floodwaters covered the Earth for 150 days, leaving only those aboard the wooden ship alive.
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For generations, the possibility that the Ark landed somewhere in Turkey’s mountainous east has remained a subject of religious belief, historical debate and scientific skepticism.
Located about 18 miles south of Mount Ararat, Turkey’s highest peak, the Durupınar Formation first came to public attention less than a century ago.
Radar scans reportedly detected “a series of right angles” roughly 20 feet below the surface—features researchers suggest could correspond to compartments once used to house animals aboard the Ark.
While many scientists argue the formation is a naturally occurring geological feature, others are convinced it points to something far more extraordinary.
The team at Noah’s Ark Scans firmly believes the latter.
‘For decades, skeptics have had one simple answer for the boat-shaped Durupınar Formation: it is just a solid lump of natural rock,’ Noah’s Ark Scans said on Wednesday.
‘The mission was direct: put the “solid rock” explanation to the test. Is the formation a single homogeneous mass of natural stone? Does it contain internal structures?
‘Where does the true bedrock lie beneath it, and how does that bedrock continue across the surrounding valley?’
The team shared online that radar scans found three layers beneath the formation’s surface, claiming they feature chambers, corridors, organized patterns, and tunnels.
Lauren Witzke, head of marketing and fundraising for Noah’s Ark Scans, said on X: ‘Scientists confirm the formation is 100 percent not geological. They say, and I quote, that it is a “man-made object.”‘
Tests conducted by Noah’s Ark Scans have also found higher carbon levels inside the formation than in matching soil collected just a few yards away on the same hillside.
The researchers added further studies using infrared thermography (IRT), a heat-sensing technology that can uncover hidden structures underground, have also suggested the presence of a ship-shaped hull buried deep in the soil
Researchers said the difference could point to a concentration of organic material, potentially the remains of ancient wood, although no timber has been recovered.
Lead archaeologist Dr Cenker Atila said: ‘The amount of carbon coming from the interior of the ship is 40 percent higher than what was found outside.’
‘This raises the idea that there may be organic material or remains of wood.’
The findings remain unverified while the collected samples undergo laboratory testing. The team expects to publish a fuller analysis in the coming weeks.