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The Darvaza gas crater is about 260 km (160 mi) north of Ashgabat. Most hotels can organize transport to and from the site. Buses and trains serve Darvaza itself, but then it's a 7-km (4.5 mi) hike to the crater. Taking a shared taxi is another option.
So, is there a hell on Earth? Let's take a closer look at that extraordinary site in Turkmenistan, which is named for the nearby town of Darvaza.
The Darvaza gas crater, which appears especially dramatic and unworldly after dark, is 69 m (226 ft) in diameter and is as big as an American football field.
Regardless of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow's intentions, the crater remained open. Then, in 2022, he ordered the closure of the site. But in the same year Berdimuhamedow left office, with no known deadline for closing the Darvaza gas crater or putting out the fire.
This despite the fact that the Darvaza gas crater is Turkmenistan's biggest tourist attraction.
Accounts differ as to how Darvaza was created. The most likely scenario is that the site was drilled by Soviet engineers in 1971 as an oil field, but collapsed within days, forming the crater.
The crater is a popular tourist attraction. Since 2009 at least 50,000 tourists have visited the site.
Those approaching the Gates of Hell at night are greeted with an eerie glow long before they reach the crater's edge. A sulfurous odor—Satan's breath, perhaps—hangs in the air. But is this satanic sinkhole about to be extinguished?
Many believe hell exists as a place of real torment, a dark fiery underworld occupied by the devil. The Darvaza gas crater certainly evokes this sinister image!
The devil is the personification of evil. A harmful being capable of inflicting immense suffering and cruelty, this nefarious spirit is also known in some cultures as Satan, Lucifer, or Beelzebub. According to biblical accounts, the devil is a fallen angel.
This fallen angel has appeared on film in various guises. Remember the climatic scene in 'The Devil's Advocate' (1997), where Al Pacino reveals his true, terrifying self?
Sometimes a difficult and demanding personality is equated with the devil. Again in cinema, this kind of temperament is exemplified perfectly by Meryl Streep's character in 'The Devil Wears Prada' (2006).
You'll very likely begin your journey to the Gates Of Hell in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan is a near-landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. It shares a coastline with the Caspian Sea. The country is predominantly Muslim, with buildings like Ashgabat's Turkmenbashi Ruhi Mosque a common architectural feature.
Indeed, Turkmenistan's citizens have identified with Islam (mostly Sunni) for centuries. Around 10% of the population follow the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Paying a visit to Turkmenistan means changing your dollars, euros, and other currency into manats, the official legal tender in the country.
Turkmenistan is a huge country, the second largest state in Central Asia after Kazakhstan. Its geography is characterized by mountains, plateaus, depressions, and featureless desert.
The Karakum Desert is vast. It occupies 70% of Turkmenistan. Few people call this remote region home. Even wildlife is sparse in its diversity. But the Karakum is where you'll need travel for a date with the devil...
Did we mention Soviet geologists? This is because in 1925 Turkmenistan became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (Turkmen SSR). The country won its independence after the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Pictured in the early 20th century is the Red Army in Ashgabat.
Turkmenistan is rich in oil and natural gas resources. In fact, Turkmenistan holds a staggering 265 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves. This ranks it 44th globally in terms of oil reserves and sixth in gas reserves. Pictured is a gas pipeline constructed through sand dunes that has been exposed by wind and movement of the desert sands.
The area around the Darvaza crater is pocked with evidence of other gas exploration endeavors. There's one crater about 23 km (14 mi) from Darvaza that's filled with water where gas bubbles are visible. Another, about 10 km (6 mi) away, is known as the Mud Crater (pictured) and is flecked with wannabe tongues of flame.
The subsidence (i.e. sinking of the ground) released a cocktail of noxious gases, which the geologists decided to flare to prevent the spread of methane. However, they underestimated the volume of gas hidden below ground. The result is a burn that's remained ignited for well over 50 years!
The Turkmen people have traditionally been nomads and equestrians. As part of their traditional costume, Turkmen males wear large telpek or mekan telpek hats, which are made of black or white sheepskin. Women wear long sack-dresses over narrow trousers. Female headdresses usually consist of silver jewelry and semi-precious stones.
But we still might get an answer, and sooner rather than later. Berdimuhamedow's successor is his son, Serdar Berdimuhamedow. The new President of Turkmenistan is yet to make a decision on the fate of the Darvaza crater, but he is likely to appease his father and interested parties within the country's oil and gas industry.
Back in 2010, Turkmenistan's then president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, recommended the crater's flame be tamed, citing detrimental effects on local health, the environment, and the natural gas industry.
His main concern was that the burning crater represented a wasting of valuable natural gas resources, commodities he wanted tapped and exploited.
The surrounding area is also popular for wild desert camping, with the more adventurous pitching their tents near Lucifer's lip.
Meanwhile, intrepid tourists are still willing to make the arduous journey to stand at the Gates of Hell.
Sources: (Britannica) (International Trade Administration) (Silk Road Briefing) (CNN) (BBC)
Deep in the the middle of Turkmenistan's arid Karakum Desert, a huge hole appears in the sand like a gaping wound—the Darvaza gas crater.
Locals, however, call Turkmenistan's most internationally-recognized site the "Gates of Hell" for the perpetual flames fueled by seeping natural gas that dance and flicker as if nourishing a huge, diabolical cauldron.
Adventure tourists are holding their breath, eager to know whether Turkmenistan's new president will carry out his predecessor's threat of extinguishing the country's biggest tourist attraction, the Darvaza gas crater, better known by its devilish moniker, the "Gates of Hell." Burning since the early 1970s, this flaming cauldron of leaking methane is one of the world's weirdest man-made phenomena. Glowing like an inferno and belching sulfur, the crater's connotation with the devil is eerily tangible. But is Satan's sinkhole about to be exorcised from the map?
Click through and find out if you have the nerve to stand at the Gates of Hell.
The fascinating story behind the Gates of Hell
The Darvaza gas crater, Turkmenistan's burning sensation, may finally be extinguished
LIFESTYLE Geography
Adventure tourists are holding their breath, eager to know whether Turkmenistan's new president will carry out his predecessor's threat of extinguishing the country's biggest tourist attraction, the Darvaza gas crater, better known by its devilish moniker, the "Gates of Hell." Burning since the early 1970s, this flaming cauldron of leaking methane is one of the world's weirdest man-made phenomena. Glowing like an inferno and belching sulfur, the crater's connotation with the devil is eerily tangible. But is Satan's sinkhole about to be exorcised from the map?
Click through and find out if you have the nerve to stand at the Gates of Hell.