The Door to Hell: an Everlasting Burning Crater
Over 160 miles away from the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, lies an incredible and unique place. The Darvaza Crater, also known as the “Door to Hell” or the Crater of Fire, is an underground cavern. It has been burning continuously for over 40 years and has become a surprisingly beautiful tourist attraction.
A team of Soviet engineers discovered the place back in 1971, as they were looking for oil. However, as they reached the site, they found out, that it was filled with gas. In order to prevent any unfortunate events from happening, they deliberately collapsed the ground. The result was a 200 feet wide crater with the diameter of 230 feet.
It didn’t take long, until researchers found out about the risk of crater’s poisonous gases, that could cause great damage to the nearby cities. Therefore, they set the whole place on fire to eliminate substances such as methane. The team was convinced, that the fire would end in a couple of weeks but, surprisingly, the crater has been burning for over 4 decades.
Every year, the location attracts thousands of curious tourists, from all over the globe. The crater filled with flames and burning mud, offers tourists an alluring view of “the Door to Hell.”
Submitted by Hamid Bagha. Thank you
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Darvaza Gas Crater, Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan
- Coordinates
- 40.25258, 58.43933
- Access
- Remote desert site reached by guided 4WD tour; the final stretch is soft sand. The rim is unfenced and unstable—stay on the path and keep back from the edge.
- Time needed
- Allow 2–3 hours at the rim for an evening visit; tours from Ashgabat take about four hours each way. The fire is weaker than in older photographs.
- Location checked
- 2026-09-25
- Facts checked
- 2026-09-25
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