New History Channel doc to spotlight Noah's Ark in eastern Turkey

By Abdullah Soylemez

AGRI, Turkey (AA) – The US’ History Channel is making a documentary about the area in eastern Turkey where the legendary Noah's Ark is believed to have come to rest after the great flood.

Said to have been discovered in 1959 in Dogubayazit in the Agri province by Ilhan Durupinar, an expert cartographer, the legendary vessel – whose story is told in the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran ­– remains a source of fascination.

The region around Mount Agri – Mount Ararat in English – where the boat is said to have run aground as the flood receded attracts thousands of local and foreign tourists every year, and continues to attract the attention of foreign researchers and documentary filmmakers.

The upcoming History Channel special is being directed by Sait Yardimci, with cinematographer Abdurrahman Itik and cameraman Bulent Kaya.

The film features comments from US researcher Andrew Jones, tourism expert Zafer Onay, and Faruk Kaya, the vice rector of Agri Ibrahim Cecen University.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Yardimci, who also heads the Turkish Film Commission, said that province grew more high profile following the discovery of remains of Noah's Ark.

“When this project is finished, it will play a very important role in promoting Agri,” he said. “We both protect the cultural heritage and contribute to the country's tourism.”

- Over 1B people hoped to see documentary

Calling the History Channel the world’s premier documentary outlet, Yardimci said the Noah’s Ark documentary is expected to be watched by more than 1 billion people around the globe.

“There were local documentaries made about this place before,” he added. “The Turkish Film Commission believes that Turkey is a natural film hub and that much more content should be produced … Because the region we’re in is a place that is both unique and has a lot of history.”

He said that the documentary is expected to come out next summer.

For his part, US researcher Jones said that he first came to the region in 1997 when he was just 20.

“This was my first trip to Turkey,” he said. “And I fell in love with the people, the culture, the history. And since that time I've come back many times in this research for Noah's Ark and brought tour groups here and promoted tourism in the region.”

Pointing to the interest in the region, Jones said: “People are interested in knowing where Noah's Ark is, and according to the holy books in the Bible, the Ark of Noah landed on Mount Ararat.”

The story of the great flood and Noah’s Ark is told in the scriptures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the three Abrahamic religions.