The Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan is alarmingly close to the mythological descriptions of the depths of Hell. The fire and brimstone of lore have nothing on this scorching place in the Karakum Desert. The ironical part is that the smoking hot crater is actually a creation of man’s folly.

In the early seventies Soviet geologists in the area were hunting for oil fields. In 1971 they were drilling on top of a natural cavern filled with gas. As the ground collapsed they found natural gas escaping. In order to prevent the toxic gases from harming the local population, they set a flame to them.

This process is called flaring and usually burns out the toxic gases contained in a cavern within a couple of weeks. Unfortunately the area of the crater at Darvaza never stopped burning since it was ignited. The reserves of natural gas must be fed from a leak in the earth’s crust and continue to feed the never ending fire.

The 60 by 20 meter tourist attraction is known as the “Gates to Hell” and is most spectacular when visited at night. The crater is located 250 km south of the capital city of Ashgabat. Regular tours are organised to visit the location. It would make an interesting scientific study to determine just how long the Gates of Hell are going to stay ablaze.