Phantom Arks on Ararat

The dictionary defines a phantom as „one that is something in appearance but not in reality. Anyone who has been to Mt. Ararat in Eastern Turkey will attest to the fact that Ark-like shapes can be seen all over the mountain. Ararat is a volcanic mountain which has an abundance of large blocks of basalt, and given the right shadows and lighting, coupled with an active imagination "Arks" can sometimes be seen which are often announced prematurely as "discoveries." Below are six photos that were once heart-stoppers!

Photo #1:
While this Ark-like object is in an interesting area and seems to sit on a ledge like some of the eyewitnesses have attested, upon close examination and comparison with other photos, it is judged to be a rock. It is a good example of what shadows and angle can do.

Photo #2:
When one first arrives at the little Turkish village at the foot of Mt. Ararat one is immediately transfixed by the enormity of the majesty of the mountain. After gazing at the mountain for a while one is struck by the large black spot near the summit. Telephoto shots of this object show it to be a large black rectangular shape. In 1989, photos of the object from a helicopter where released to the press and announced that Noah's Ark had been found. A close examination shows it to be a large block of basalt. The villagers and shepherds refer to it as the "eye of the bird" which it resembles from the village.

Photo #3:
The above circled object was first discovered in 1987 in a photograph taken by a Turkish pilot as he was flying by the Western side of the mountain. It too, is apparently a block of basalt. It was, however, of interest to the CIA which photographed it in the late 40's as an unknown anomaly, and I assume since it was on a famous mountain that it might have been labed "Noah's ark." It is still under scrutiny.

Photo #4:
This object is also a large block of basalt but when viewed from the opposite side of the gorge it can resemble the prow of a ship.

Photo #5:
This may be one of the most stunning of all "Ark" photos. It was taken by Bob Garbe in 1986. He was near the summit overlooking the awesome Ahora Gorge. He set his camera on infinity and simply panned several shots of the gorge. The object was not seen until he examined his slides later. In subsequent expeditions, researchers went to this site but could see nothing.

Notice how the object in this slide compares to the drawing made by Elfred Lee which was drawn from a description of what an eyewitness (George Hagopian) said the Ark looked like when he had seen it as a child around 1900.

Photo 5b:
Notice in particular the louvers at the top of the drawing, then look carefully at the perfectly spaced louvers at the top of the object. Notice also the flat bottom of the object. In a close-up of the original a perfectly square outline of a possible door is visible. In experiments done with the slide it was concluded that the mystery object is far too small to be the Ark, nevertheless, this object defies the imagination.

Photo 6:
This object was originally part of a video that was taken from a helicopter. The object is located at the bottom of the Ahora Gorge on the North side of Mt. Ararat. Through the haze and fog a rectangular ark-like object with snow on the top appears. One end appears to be broken. Note the two parallel lines. It is not known what this object is, as it has not been completely identified.

Samples of the Ararat Report