Noah’s Ark is in Turkey’s Agri region, author claims

By Sitki Yildiz

AGRI, Turkey (AA) - Noah’s Ark is “definitely” in Turkey’s eastern province of Agri, claimed Erkan Kosedag, author of the book Nuh’un Gemisi Asrın Keşfi (Noah’s Ark; the Discovery of the Century).

The book will bring a new dimension to the discussions about the ship’s location, which could not be determined despite the worldwide studies by scientists for years.

Kosedag noted that it is indicated in Quran that Noah’s flood was a regional one rather than global, and took place 4,000 years ago.

The story of the great floods and Noah’s Ark has been mentioned in all Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

In the Quran, it is mentioned that Allah informed Noah about an impending flood that would engulf the entire Earth, save he and all those who are with him in his ark. Noah then proceeded to build his vessel in which he kept members of his family along with pairs of all animals and birds.

The search for Noah's Ark has been made for centuries, but so far no physical proof has ever be found.

The ruins presumably belonging to a ship were found after an earthquake occurred in 1949 in Telceker village of Agri’s Dogubeyazit district. The ruins attracted many scientists from all over the world to the region who conducted researches between 1965-1979.

The ruins were found by locals after the earthquake and introduced to the world by Captain Ilhan Durupinar.

“The dimensions of the ruins match precisely with those specified in the holy books,” he told Anadolu Agency in Telceker village.

Kosedag’s book features various information from Sumerian Monuments, the Epic of Gilgamesh and all three holy books.

The book also includes researches conducted by John Wanderman and Dr. Salih Bayraktutan from Erzurum Ataturk University, eastern Turkey.

“Bayraktutan’s reports show that materials similar to iron were discovered in laboratory analyses,” Kosedag said.

The region was confirmed to be an archeological site by Bayraktutan after examinations. “We claim the Ark is definitely in Agri region. Studies should focus on this region,” he added.

* Dilan Pamuk contributed to this story from Ankara