The curious origin of the Darvaza Gate to Hell in Turkmenistan

The Door to Hell Darvaza
Have you ever heard of the Door to hell from Darvaza? Do not? Well, it has a history that is worth knowing!

As you can see in the images, it is a burning crater, but contrary to what it may seem, this wonder of nature did not occur completely naturally. The search for geological gases and a "brilliant" idea of ​​the scientists They had a lot to do. We will tell you the story about this curious place below!

70% desert

The Door to Hell is located in the great desert of Karakum, near the small village of Darvaza, in Turkmenistan. In reality, the desert occupies 70% of the entire country, or what is the same, 350,000 km2, and is very rich in oil and natural gas.


The Door to Hell Darvaza1

Man's hand

The Gate to Hell was formed during the 1970s. At the time, during gas prospecting by Soviet geologists, the ground sank leaving a hole 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep.

In order not to allow poisonous gases to evaporate, a group of scientists had the brilliant ideal of setting fire to this gas-filled cave, thinking that the fire would go out after a few days. However, 40 years later the crater is still ablaze and it is totally unknown for how many more years the flames of the Door to Hell will continue to burn.

The Door to Hell Darvaza2

The danger of playing with the forces of nature

During the day, the Door to Hell is most striking for its spaciousness, but when it really impresses it is at night. In fact, when the sun disappears the crater becomes visible from several kilometers away. As you can see, it is very dangerous deliberately playing with the forces of nature, especially when they don't know each other in depth.

This Hellish Crater Has Been on Fire for Almost 50 Years (March 2024)


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