Question:
In which land did Prophetﷺ Nuh (Noah) live? The Qur’an mentions that the Ark rested on Mount Judi. So where did he settle?
Answer:
The Qur’an and authentic Hadith do not clearly specify the exact country where Nuh lived. It does not say whether he lived in Makkah, Madinah, Iraq, Syria, Iran, or elsewhere.
Some scholars assume Iraq because there is an old mosque where a place is marked as the “Tannur” (oven) from which water gushed forth. But that mosque was built centuries later. There is no authentic evidence linking it to Nuh.
The Qur’an states that the Ark settled on Mount Judi. That does not mean Nuh lived there before the flood. The flood carried the Ark across waters. When the waters receded, it settled on Mount Judi.
Mount Judi is identified today in southeastern Turkey. Some refer to it as part of the Ararat region. There are ongoing studies and explorations in that region. In past aerial photographs, shapes resembling a large structure were identified. Some research projects from 2021–2023 have investigated the area. Objects resembling anchors and marine-related elements have been claimed to be found.
Some carbon dating estimates suggest dates around 3000–5000 BCE. These studies are not conclusive but are presented as supportive evidence.
What is certain from the Qur’an is that the Ark settled on Mount Judi. As for where Nuh lived before the flood, there is no definitive evidence.