THE GATE OF HELL IS OPEN

Did you know that there is a place in the middle of a desert, which is known as the gate of hell?

DOES HELL EXIST?

Hell is part of the imagery and beliefs of many cultures and religions around the world.

WELCOME TO HELL

We now take you through the door of hell. But rest assured that you will not find the devil or any other evil creatures there.

WHERE IS IT LOCATED?

But before you step in, we have to tell you where it is, right? Have you ever heard of Turkmenistan?

CONTEXT

Turkmenistan is an Arab country located beside Afghanistan, Iran and Kazakhstan.

SPEAKING OF BELIEFS…

The predominant religion in the country is Sunni Islam.

TOURISM

If you wish to pay a visit to the country, it is helpful to know that the capital is called Ashkhabad and the local currency is the Turkmenistan manat.

Most of Turkmenistan’s territory consists of deserts.

Let’s explore the largest of them: the Karakum Desert, where the gate of hell is located.

The gate of hell is a fiery crater 20 m deep in the middle of the desert.

The fire has not gone out for more than 40 years. Do you know why?

The land in this region is rich in oil and natural gas.

In 1971 two Soviet geologists drilled the site to extract gas, but the ground gave way and formed the crater.

The result is that, since then, the fire has never gone out.

This is the explanation for the formation of the Darvaza crater, which became known as the gate of hell.

According to the American photographer John Bradley, who has taken numerous images of the place, the name ‘gate of hell’ was given by local desert residents.

That’s because, with the flames, the crater releases a smell of sulfur that can be detected from afar.

In 2010, Turkmenistan’s president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow ordered its closure.

The ruler has decided to keep the crater running until the fire extinguishes naturally.

Due to the rich presence of gas in the soil of Turkmenistan, it is not known when it will actually extinguish naturally.

How about you? Would you like to visit the gate of hell?