Derweze. The Anomalous Zone of Turkmenistan. (Video)

“Gates of Hell,” Karakum Desert

Darvaza, or as it is also called, the Gates of Hell, is the most mysterious place in Turkmenistan, known to those who are interested in various natural mysteries.

If you are told that the Gates of Hell are located in the center of the Karakum Desert and that you will have the opportunity to peek into the “antechamber” of the underworld – believe it. I believed it. Because I saw it with my own eyes this past summer when I was returning from the northern region of Turkmenistan to the capital – the white-marble beautiful city of Ashgabat, along with other passengers on the bus route.

What I saw in the Karakums is beyond words. Even now, months later, when I mentally picture this fire-breathing crater of incredible size among the sandy dunes, I experience mixed feelings – fear, curiosity, and an inexplicable mystery.

This enormous hole, with a diameter of 70 meters, is located on a flat section of the desert, halfway along the Ashgabat-Karakum-Dashoguz highway, not far from the village of Darvaza, which translates to “gate.” Whether due to the name of the village or the size of the anomalous phenomenon occurring nearby, the locals call this fire-breathing hole the “Gates of Hell.” Although probably no one living today has ever seen the entrance to the otherworld.

Nevertheless, this natural phenomenon continues to stir the imagination of passengers traveling past it on buses and private cars, generating genuine interest among both scientists and numerous tourists eager to see it for themselves and capture it on video.

According to local elders (white-bearded old men), the crater was formed in 1971 when a drilling rig working to explore Turkmenistan's subsoil suddenly collapsed into the ground. It is said that everything within a radius of 60 meters – equipment, vehicles, and the structure of the rig itself – completely disappeared into the void that formed. Nothing is known about the deceased or injured.

The crater began to breathe fire after scientists and geologists decided to burn the gas present in the pit, thinking that the flames would extinguish themselves after a while. However, that did not happen. The fire in the crater has been burning for over 40 years, attracting increasing interest.

For more than forty years, the flames have been raging in the very middle of the Karakum Desert, instilling mystical fear in local nomads and curious tourists.

The “Gates of Hell” astonish the imagination, serving as a natural backdrop for horror films.

The fiery red glow of the burning gas is visible from afar, especially at night when it gets completely dark.

The view of the fiery mouth is particularly striking when looking down while standing at the edge of the crater. Once inside, escape is impossible; all living things are doomed.

The intense heat and the danger of the crater's edges collapsing have prevented anyone from descending into the pit and studying it from the inside all these years.

However, in November 2013, the famous traveler and researcher George Koronis from Canada became the first person in the world to descend to the bottom of the 30-meter deep crater.

He managed to find bacteria that live at the bottom of the crater and thrive in high temperatures.

What was surprising is that these bacteria are not found anywhere on the surface of the Earth and thrive in a small ecosystem at the bottom of the scorching crater. The discovery of such life forms is very important from the perspective of astrobiology, as many planets beyond the Solar System have conditions reminiscent of the hellish crater in Turkmenistan.

No one has ever calculated how many billions of cubic meters of gas have burned over the years. Currently, gas extraction is not being conducted in this area. Nearby the crater, there are several abandoned wells where remnants of low-pressure equipment still exist. It would not be difficult to bring them back into operation.

Near Darvaza, there are two more sinkholes of similar origin, but the gas pressure coming from them is significantly weaker, and they do not burn. Experts claim that using a certain drilling method, one of them could be put into operation.

In 2004, by order of Turkmenbashi, the village was relocated to another site, while the gas crater Darvaza continued to blaze. It is still burning today. No one knows how long this will last, whether the gas reserves will eventually run out, or if the fiery pit will ultimately be filled in, as gas is a valuable resource, and here it has been wasted “for nothing” for several decades. Nevertheless, the gas crater Darvaza remains one of the most interesting and mysterious attractions in Turkmenistan, attracting many tourists every year.

If you approach the “Gates of Hell” on a clear day, it may seem to you that it is just an ordinary hole in the ground, not deserving of its grim mystical name. Only as you get closer will you see hundreds of flames burning in the twenty-meter crater. Gas bursts to the surface through the sandstone and ignites, further heating the already scorching air.

If you visit this attraction early in the evening, you can fully enjoy the mesmerizing sight of the slowly descending crater into darkness and the orange tongues of flame – all against the backdrop of the setting sun. Around the crater, there are several more sinkholes, one of which is filled with turquoise liquid. It is best to view the sinkholes in daylight and very cautiously: the edges are prone to collapse, and the increased temperature of the air and the smell of natural gas are very noticeable nearby.

The gas crater Darvaza is very different from many natural attractions around the world, primarily due to the sense of tranquility and pristine nature: there are no paid parking lots, walking paths, fences, or stalls selling souvenirs. Only desert surrounds it, and for many kilometers, there is not a soul in sight.

The only nearby café where you can grab a bite is located a few kilometers south of the crater.

The nearest shops can only be found in the village of Yerbent, which is located 90 kilometers from the crater.

When traveling to the gas crater, it should be noted that regardless of the smooth, pothole-free road from Ashgabat, the last few kilometers pass through a sandy stretch that can only be traversed by an off-road vehicle.