What were the Characteristics of Noah's Ark?

Although in historical, hadith, and commentary sources Specifications and features for Noah's ark have been mentioned, in some cases; they either seem far-fetched or conflict with each other, but what can be said Based on the total of the verses and narrations in general is that; Noah's ark was not a simple ark and like other arks with the means of that day, it was not finished easily. He carried the animals that were there. Such a ship with such a capacity must have been unprecedented on that day... therefore, in some of the commentators' traditions, we read that this ship was 1,200 cubits long and 600 cubits wide! (Each cubit is about half a meter).[1]

Now, the verses and traditions that describe the specifics and characteristics of Noah's ark, in general, and in detail, are mentioned as follows,

A). Qur'an's opinion about Noah's Ark

1. There were waves in the size of mountains in its path:  And it sailed along with them amid waves [rising] like mountains..!'[2], In the honorable verse, as the commentators have said, there is a reference to the fact that Noah's ark was moving on the water, not that it was floating in the water like the fishes of the sea.[3]

2. Noah's ark was of great strength and advanced quality: 
"Thereupon We delivered him and those who were with him in the laden ark"[4]It means that that ship was full of people and all the means, and there was no shortage; that is, after the ark was prepared in every way and ready to move, God sent the storm so that Noah and his other passengers would not be troubled, and this was one of God's blessings upon them.[5]

B). Traditions and Quotations

3. Imam Sadiq (AS) said:

"The length of Noah's Ark (AS); It was one thousand two hundred cubits, and its width was eight hundred cubits, and its height was eighty cubits..."[6]

4. Ayyashi (died 320 AH) narrates from Abdullah Alawi:

"Noah's ark had layers and also had two slits, one of which shone like the sun during the day and the other shone like the moon at night, Noah's companions [through this] they were well aware of their prayer times".[7]

5. Ibn Abbas said:

"Noah's ark; was made up of three floors: one floor for people, another floor for cattle, and the third floor for beasts of prey, in such a way that the bottom floor was the place of beasts of prey, the middle floor was the place of cattle, and Noah himself and his companions sat on the top floor. All the food and other supplies were placed on the top floor".[8]

C).The description of Noah's ark quoted from the Torah

In the Persian translation of the Torah, the sixth chapter of Genesis is as fol

lows:

"God said to Noah: The end of all mankind has come before me; Because the earth is filled with oppression because of them, and now I will destroy them with the earth. So build yourself an ark of kufr wood and build rooms in the ark and put tar inside and out, and make it in such a way that the length of the ark is three hundred cubits, and its width is fifty cubits, and its height is thirty cubits, and make a light for the ark. Finish it a cubit from the top and place the ship door next to it and make lower, middle and upper floors. For now, I am bringing a flood of water on the earth to destroy everybody that has the spirit of life in it from under the sky, and everything that is on the earth will die. But I will establish my covenant with you..."[9] 

References:

[1] Makarem Shirazi, Nasser, Tafsir al-Nashon, vol. 9, p. 95, Tehran, Dar al-Katb al-Islamiyya, first edition, 1374.

[2]  Hud   11:42       «وَ هِی تَجْری بِهِمْ فی‏ مَوْجٍ کَالْجِبال‏»؛

[3] Tabatabai, Seyyed Muhammad Hossein, Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 10, p. 229, Qom, Islamic Publications Office, fifth edition, 1417 AH; Tabarsi, Fazl bin Hassan, Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, Introduction, Balaghi, Mohammad Javad, vol. 5, p. 248, Tehran, Nasser Khosrow, third edition, 1372; Ibn Kathir Damaschi, Ismail Ibn Amr, Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem, Mohaqeq, Shams al-Din, Muhammad Hossein, vol. 4, pp. 279-280, Beirut, Dar al-Kitab Al-Alamiya, Muhammad Ali Bizoon's pamphlets, first edition, 1419 AH.

[4]  Surah Shaara, 26:119.    «فَأَنْجَیناهُ وَ مَنْ مَعَهُ فِی الْفُلْکِ الْمَشْحُونِ»؛

[5] Sample commentary, vol. 15, p. 288

[6] Kulyni, Muhammad bin Yaqub, Kafi, Mohaghegh, Corrected, Ghafari, Ali Akbar, Akhundi, Muhammad, vol. 8, p. 283, Tehran, Dar al-Katb al-Islamiyya, 4th edition, 1407 AH.

[7] Ayashi, Mohammad Bin Masoud, al-Tafseer, researcher, corrector, Rasouli Mahalati, Hashim, vol. 2, p. 146, Tehran, Al-Mattaba Al-Alamiya, first edition, 1380 AH.

[8] Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 5, p. 241.

[9] Genesis, 6:14-17, Old Translation, Elam Press.