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(2020) Winter Fire Festivals Around the World That Don't Disappoint * Sign In Join * Sign In ----------------------------------------------------------------- Join * What's near me? AO Edited The Gates of Hell Turkmenistan A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971. Been Here? 169 Want to Visit? 1635 [blank-11b9] View all photos The Gates of Hell. Tormod Sandtorv/cc by-sa 2.0 [YS5qcGc] The Gates of Hell. Tormod Sandtorv/cc by-sa 2.0 [MjUyNC5qcG] The Gates of Hell. John H. Bradley/Used with Permission [LmpwZw] The Gates of Hell. Tormod Sandtorv/cc by-sa 2.0 [MjU1Ni5qcG] The Gates of Hell. John H. Bradley/Used with Permission [X3RvX0hlbG] The Gates of Hell. flydime/cc by-sa 2.0 [ZGE4N2ZfYi] The Gates of Hell. John H. Bradley/Used with Permission [Zw] The Gates of Hell. KalpakTravel (Atlas Obscura User) [ZWFjN2ZfYi] The Gates of Hell. User submitted [LmpwZw] The Gates of Hell. User submitted Been Here? 169 Want to Visit? 1635 The Gates of Hell Copy Link Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard Pocket Go Here With Us [blank-11b9] history Turkmenistan and the Gates of Hell Turkmenistan Sep 16-25, 2022 From $3,475 USD On this sweeping, eclectic adventure through Turkmenistan, marvel at the towering white-marble structures of Ashgabat, roam through barren deserts and a world-class canyon, and spend the night camped out beside the flaming Gates of Hell. + 2 other dates Go Here With Us Turkmenistan and the Gates of Hell On this sweeping, eclectic adventure through Turkmenistan, marvel at the towering white-marble structures of Ashgabat, roam through barren deserts and a world-class canyon, and spend the night camped out beside the flaming Gates of Hell. Book Now [blank-11b9] In the hot, expansive Karakum desert in Turkmenistan, near the 350-person village of Darvaza, is a hole 230 feet wide that has been on fire for over 50 years. Though technically called the Darvaza gas crater, locals know the crater as "The Gates of Hell." Its fiery glow can be seen for miles around. The Gates of Hell crater was created in 1971 when a Soviet drilling rig accidentally punched into a massive underground natural gas cavern, causing the ground to collapse and the entire drilling rig to fall in. Having punctured a pocket of gas, poisonous fumes began leaking at an alarming rate. To head off a potential environmental catastrophe, the Soviets set the hole alight, figuring it would stop burning within a few weeks. Decades later, and the fiery pit is still going strong. The Soviet drilling rig is believed to still be down there somewhere, on the other side of the "Gates of Hell." Amazingly, despite the crater's foreboding name and ever-present flames, people still trek into the desert to witness the site in all its blazing glory. The nearby desert has become a popular place for wild camping. But the fate of the burning crater may be in limbo. In January 2022, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov ordered the government of Turkmenistan to begin researching how to put the fire out. The Atlas Obscura Podcast is a short, daily celebration of all the world's strange and wondrous places. Check out this episode about the Gates of Hell. oil fiery wonders craters disaster areas fires Community Contributors Dylan Added By Dylan e info Annetta Black j K Edited by empirealien, info, Annetta Black, jackarywilliams7, KalpakTravel See All + * Annetta Black Annetta Black * F Facebook100002909929767 * d derukanjiru * e empirealien * b blankk * info info * SEANETTA SEANETTA * C CaptainJack06 * nathanlouis1 nathanlouis1 * K KalpakTravel * lhayes9 lhayes9 * j jackarywilliams7 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Edit this listing Make an Edit Add Photos --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sources * http://janchipchase.com/2010/06/knocking-on-the-door-to-hell/ [blank-11b9c95a68e295dddd0ea924647536578ce285b2c8469a223c01df1ff3166] Turkmenistan 40.2522, 58.4397 Nearby Walls of Itchan Kala 127 miles Kow Ata Underground Lake 143 miles Nokhur Cemetery 144 miles Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. Near This Place [blank-11b9] Xiva, Uzbekistan Walls of Itchan Kala Ancient barriers wrap around what was once an important stop along the Silk Road. [blank-11b9] Gokdepe, Turkmenistan Kow Ata Underground Lake This cavernous swimming spot doubles as a home to the largest known colony of bats in Central Asia. [blank-11b9] Nokhur, Turkmenistan Nokhur Cemetery A cemetery with goat-horn bedecked gravestones. [blank-11b9] Gokdepe, Turkmenistan Saparmurat Hajji Mosque A memorial to the thousands of Turkmen soldiers and civilians who died in a bloody 1881 battle. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Related Places [blank-11b9] Maricopa, California Lakeview Gusher Remnants of the United States's largest accidental oil spill still mar a California valley. [blank-11b9] Banyuputih, Indonesia Kawah Ijen Think you have a tough job? Try carrying 200 kilos through a cloud of sulfur down the side of a volcano. [blank-11b9] Lutcher, Louisiana Bonfires on the Levee for Papa Noel A Cajun-style Christmas on the river also involves sky-high pyres and explosives. [blank-11b9] Sulzbach, Germany Brennender Berg Germany has its very own Centralia, whose spark remains attributed to "spontaneous combustion." --------------------------------------------------------------------- Appears in 3 Lists [blank-11b9] List 10 Places That Are Always on Fire Is this burning an eternal flame? Samir S. Patel December 30, 2019 [blank-11b9] List 10 Extraordinary Places That Celebrate 10 Years of Atlas Obscura Our absolute favorite spots on the planet. Dylan Thuras and Josh Foer October 3, 2019 [blank-11b9] List Favorites Some of the most incredible, beautiful, and strange places in the Atlas. Meg Neal February 21, 2018 Another Random Place >> Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. From Around the Web [] See Fewer Ads Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups. 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