Darvaza Gas Crater
Darvaza Gas Crater or The Gates to Hell is a crater with a diameter of 70 meters located in the Karakum Desert, in the central part of Turkmenistan. Soviet geologists believed that there was a larger amount of oil here, and when they installed drilling equipment, a huge amount of gas erupted from the ground, and a large portion of the soil collapsed, carrying drilling equipment with it. In a hurry, they deliberately set fire to this 30-meter-deep crater in 1971, so as not to spread the dangerous methane gas, believing that the flames would go out on their own after a couple of weeks. Almost half a century later, the gas is still burning. The crater is located next to the village of Darvaza, after which it got its name.
Activities in Darvaza Gas Crater
- walking
- photography
- sightseeing