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Mount Ararat 1999 - Courtesy Rob Michelson
Mount Ararat is located in Eastern Turkey on the borders of Iran, Armenia (formerly U.S.S.R.), and Nakchivan. This
volcanic mountain rises 5,165 meters or 16,945 feet high, far above the plains that are at 2,000-3,000 feet high, and is the highest location
in the ancient kingdom of Urartu, a region which covered thousands of square miles with hundreds of mountains.
Ararat is the newer Armenian name of Urartu from the
Hebrew Torah written by Moses (c. 1406-1446 BC) which only included
the consonants "rrt". However, the translators of the Bible replaced the "rrt" with the later name, "Ararat" or "Armenia."
The Assyrians wrote about battles against the Urartian tribes from the thirteenth century BC
until the sixth century BC when Urartu was destroyed by the Medes. The name Urartu then vanished from history (until archaeologists re-discovered it in the 1800s)
and was replaced by Ararat and Armenia in the vicinity as well as in English Bible translations, maps, etc.
As history went on in the first and second millenia AD, the mountain became known as Ararat and the region as Armenia.
Many people believe that Mount Ararat is the place where Noah's Ark landed but the Bible does not state this. It simply
says that the boat landed in the Urartian mountains, of which there are hundreds, although Ararat is the highest and is the only one with a permanent ice cap, which is around 17 square miles in size.
Since Mount Ararat is the highest location in Urartu, some people throughout history have jumped to the unproven
conclusion that it was the landing place and promoted that concept as a regional tradition.
Mount Ararat may be the largest single-mass or volume mountain in the world as it is huge (one really has to see it
in person to appreciate its immensity) and rises to
17,000 feet from the plains surrounding it at 2,000-3,000 feet while most other large mountains are in a
mountain range with less differential and base circumference. Ararat has only a few native trees
growing on it in Ahora village, shrubs around Korhan, and several small forests on Little Ararat. Views differ as to whether Ararat
formed much of its size after the flood (post-flood) or partially during the flood with post-flood uplift and lava flows as some geologists like
creationist Clifford Burdick have found pillow lava (lava spewed into water, ice, or snow)
up to the 14,000-foot level where the ice cap typically begins. Geologists believe that cylindrical and very steep mountains like Little Ararat
show that it is most probably a post-flood mountain. There are also claims of fossils and sedimentary layers on Greater Ararat
but these claims have not been backed up with concrete evidence as of this date although there are fossils in the Ararat valley limestones.
From 14,000 feet to 17,000 feet, much of the lava is covered by an ice cap which is about 17 square miles
in size and is up to 350 feet deep. As computed by ArcImaging,
the coordinates that cover the ice cap area on
Mount Ararat are N 39 degrees 41' to N 39 degrees 44', E 44 degrees 15' 30" to E 44 degrees 19' 30".
The area of this rectangle is about 31.6 square kilometers.
Mount Ararat region along with the Araxes river valley constitutes a possible beginning location for the archaeology
of the Early Transcaucasian culture with its distinctive red-black burnished ware. There are a number of Chalcolithic and
Early Bronze Age archaeological sites around Mount Ararat in Turkey, Armenia, and Nakchivan. Archaeologists would like
to research this area more but the border region is difficult to get permission to research as well as the border breaks
up the research area into separate nations...
Since the upper reaches of this volcanic mountain are covered with broken lava rock everywhere
and are currently extremely difficult to ascend or descend, its present state makes it a poor location for Noah's Ark
to land and for all the animals to easily descend. Some have wondered if the mountain was lower after the flood and then was
uplifted later on with more volcanic activity around the parasitic cones similar to Little Ararat.
Yet, Mount Ararat has the bulk of the purported eyewitnesses of the boat-like structure since 1850. These
"alleged" eyewitnesses are a primary reason why the search should continue on the mountain.
Given the extensive research which has taken place on Mount Ararat, it seems fair to say that if Noah's
Ark ever survived into modern times and is somewhere on Ararat, there are
few new places remaining on the mountain to search. There have been many expeditions,
accounts, alleged sightings, anomalies, and claims of discovery involving Mount Ararat.
What is lacking is any scientific evidence or photo that shows that Noah's Ark survived until today.
However, one should also consider the possibility that Noah's Ark landed on Mount Ararat and was subsequently destroyed,
which is the possibility alluded to in the article Even If Noah’s Ark Is Not Proven,
Noah’s Ark Still Could Have Landed On Mount Ararat.
Given all the ground and aerial expeditions (and one with sophisticated mapping capabilities), one should surmise that if the remains of Noah's Ark are indeed on Mount Ararat, they are not in plain view; if the boat is there, it must be buried. There have been 2 attempts that used sub-surface Radar (Ground Penetrating Radar - GPR) technology on Mount Ararat to look under the ice. The 1988 Willis expedition and the 1989 Aaron/Garbe/Corbin expedition used GPR. The 1988 Willis expedition successfully surveyed the eastern summit plateau and the saddle area between the two peaks, concluding there were no Ark remains under the ice. The 1989 expedition was not as successful as the preceding year, where a less-capable GPR system was used in temperate (melting) ice cap conditions on the western plateau of Mount Ararat. However, they were able to determine the ice depth on the western plateau and scale the size of the Ark.
If the remains of Noah's Ark were in moving ice on Mount Ararat (there is only one legitimate glacier, the Black Glacier, though there are other moving ice flows like the so-called Parrot Glacier), the Ark would have been ground to bits. ArcImaging contends that until the entire mountain has been adequately "sub-surface" surveyed using the latest remote sensing technology, some people such as the alleged eyewitnesses contended that the Ararat ice cap contains the remains of Noah's Ark since about 90% of the supposed eyewitnesses claim that the boat was sticking out of the ice even though the explorers over the past 50 years did not see the same boat-like structure.
Summary of Alleged Eyewitnesses
Ark On Ararat by Michael Castellano
Behling, Ed Sketch #1 1981 of 1973-74 Alleged Sighting
Behling, Ed Sketch #2 1981 of 1973-74 Alleged Sighting
Behling, Ed Sketch #3 1981 of 1973-74 Alleged Sighting
Davis, Ed Account
Davis, Ed Drawings
Hagopian, George Paintings
Hurley, Kevin Newspaper Photo Drawing
Explorers Of Ararat: And the Search for Noah's Ark - 482 page book with 265 photos and all eyewitness accounts
Reshit Account
Stephen, George Account
Todd, William (Bill) Account
U2 Account
Researcher Photos and Information of Mount Ararat and Surrounding Areas
The List of Known Expeditions with years and members are listed here.
If you have corrections or enhancements for the list, please email us.
The following links are to copyrighted photo albums of explorers and researchers around Mount Ararat.
Please refer to the FAQs if you would like to attempt to use the photos in any fashion.
Aalten, Gerrit Photo Album (7 photos)
Akcay, Bekir Photo Album
Anderson, Ray Photo Album (5 photos)
Anderson, Ray Website
Angel Rock 2006 Expedition part 1 of 2 by Gerrit Aalten
Angel Rock 2006 Expedition part 2 of 2 by Gerrit Aalten
Anatolian Fortnight
Ararat Airplane Photo Tour and Photo Album by Bob Stuplich (70 photos)
Ararat Anomaly
Ararat Cam
Bell, Gertrude - 1910 (5 photos and quotes)
Bell, Gertrude - 1910 (Book Amurath to Amurath)
Bowers, Doris Photo Album (21 photos)
Bright, Dick & David Larsen Photo Album (30 photos)
Bryce, James Album
Chantre, Madame 1893 Photo Album (3 photos)
Comber, John's Receding Water Information
Cornuke, Bob Photo Album (Ed Davis Meeting Photo)
Corbin, B.J. Photo Album (41 photos)
Corona Satellite Image
Crews, Larry Korhan Photo Album (16 photos)
Crouse, Bill Ararat Report 1986-1993
Eli Photo Album (3 photos)
Explorers Of Ararat: And the Search for Noah's Ark - 482 page book with 265 photos
Frost, Pat Photo Album (19 photos)
Geissler, Rex Photo Album (395 photos around Turkey and "the mountains of Urartu/Ararat)
Vasken Knouni Website
Kneisler, Matthew Website
Larsen, Dave Website
Lee, Elfred Photo Album and Drawings/Paintings of Alleged Noah's Ark based on Eyewitness Interviews
with George Hagopian, Ed Davis and Ray Lubeck (3 photos)
Lithuanian Summit Ascent
McIntosh, John Photo Album (54 photos)
Morris, Dr. John Photo Album (199 photos)
Nomads of Ararat #1
Nomads of Ararat #2
Sagliksuyu/Arzap Hole Stones by Gerrit Aalten
Sagliksuyu/Arzap Photo Album (6 photos)
Segraves, Kelly The Search for Noah's Ark Book
Simmons, Robin & George Adams Three QuickTime Movies
Simmons, Robin & George Adams Riddle of Ararat Video
Simmons, Robin & George Adams Visions of Ararat Video
Simmons, Robin Fortean Times Article Entitled Forbidden Arkeology
Space Shuttle Image of Ararat
Stuplich, Bob Ararat Airplane Photo Tour and Photo Album (70 photos)
Walking the World
1999 Expedition Summary
Mt.Ararat and Noah's Ark Symposium 4 Report 2006 by Gerrit Aalten
NOTE: There is much more detail and resources in the book The Explorers of Ararat: And the Search for Noah's Ark.
Northeast
The areas of high interest are the Abich II Glacier
from between the two summit peaks "the saddle" at 16,500 feet down
to 14,000 feet, and then the Ahora Gorge just below.
Some information about the Mount Ararat Research Foundation (Aerial
Stereophotographic Survey) expedition to the Ahora Gorge page has been added.
Northwest
and West Some people believe that the United States Government or Military has information about Noah's Ark. There is no proof about this despite alleged eyewitnesses.
Matthew Kneisler, Rex Geissler, Steve Emse, Porcher Taylor and others have created numerous Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. All except the 1949 photos of
the Mount Ararat Anomaly have produced no real documentation. Some of the responses
are here.
ArcImaging does not
believe that wood should be sought or promoted as evidence of Noah's Ark since dating will alway be debated.
The only reason to search there on Mount Ararat the first place is because of the alleged eyewitesses over the past 150 years and
they claimed to see a boat, not pieces of wood.
Also, even if the wood was dated "early", there would be no way to prove that this "new" wood was a part of Noah's Ark
anyway so it would be extremely controversial and debated.
Some have an interest with an Ararat Anomaly on the rim
of the Western Plateau around 15,000 feet. Information and DIA photos regarding
this site were obtained by Porcher Taylor using the Freedom of Information Act. Although the CIA statements
are interesting, there is nothing visible or very interesting in the photos provided.
B.J. Corbin had a suspicion about the Chuchian site,
located on the northwest side of Mt.
Ararat in a remote canyon at approximately 13,000 feet but believes that the area is too small.
The Western Plateau and Parrot Glacier are
two areas of interest, especially since many of the local people pointed to this general vicinity when questioned,
possibly because Fernand Navarra brought his wood down from the Parrot Glacier area. An ARF expedition with Navarra,
Bill Dougall, Alva Appel, and Bud Crawford in 1968 failed to
find any wood. However, a SEARCH expedition with Navarra, Elfred Lee, Bud Crawford, and Hugo Neuberg in 1969 did discover
small pieces of wood in a melt pond next to the Parrot Glacier in what was termed the Navarra Ice Pack. Navarra's 1950's
guide claimed that Navarra planted the 1955 wood on Ararat. This is a possibility since Navarra was on the mountain
in 1952 and 1953
before his 1955 discovery and in 1968 before the 1969 discovery. Irregardless of where Navarra's wood originated
(both wood samples were analyzed to be of the same tree-type), both 1955 and 1969 wood samples were carbon-dated around 1300-1700 years old,
far short of any possible Noah's Ark landing.
Ed
Crawford claims a spot near the upper reaches of the Parrot Glacier but there is no evidence that Noah's Ark
or a huge man-made structure has survived at this location.
As well, an Italian named Angelo Palego claims a spot between the upper reaches of the Parrot Glacier and the
Western Plateau at approximately 14,000 feet (4300 meters). However, as with other alleged sites, Palego has provided no
scientific evidence to back up his claims. Palego associate and webmaster Francesco Arduini says that after there was some
confusion with doctored photographs adding Noah's Ark without proper labeling on a previous website, Palego has now
authorized the Official Angelo Palego website.
Eastern
Summit Area
In 1988, Dr. Charles Willis virtually eliminated the Eastern
Plateau and a portion of the "saddle" area between the two peaks
as a possible resting place for Noah's Ark, using sub-surface radar and polar ice drilling.
The proximity to the Iranian and Armenian borders, and the military conflict between Turkish soldiers and terrorists on and near Mount Ararat, make it extremely difficult to obtain permission to do scientific research on the mountain because terrorists like to cross from Iran and hide on the mountain before they go elsewhere in Turkey. Because of this, Mount Ararat is a second-degree military zone and few foreigners have been legally allowed on it since 1990. In 2001, ArcImaging was the first organization to receive Federal Turkish Permission to conduct archaeological research on Mount Ararat since 1990.
If you have valuable information to share or disclose, please contact the Noah's Ark Search.com Research Group or ArcImaging.
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