Strange Places: Door To Hell, Turkmenistan

Have you ever thought what hell would actually be like? If you've ever been so curious to know how would hell actually look like then you don't need to die for that because you can find a totally remarkable place on your own earth which will actually give you a glimpse of hell. The Kara-Kum desert of Turkmenistan, near the village of Darvaza, homes the crater which is allegedly by the locals as "The Door to Hell". The jaw dropping effect is truly a must see sight for any serious explorer on earth.

The Door to Hell

The door to hell is actually a burning gas crater in the Central Asian country of Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan now an independent state was under the control of the Soviet Union until 1991. The country is rich in natural resources. Natural gas is one of the biggest wealth of the country. Back in 1971, Soviet prospectors were conducting gas drill in the Kara-Kum Desert when they came across an underground chamber close to the village of Darvaza. The accidental discovery of the gas chamber resulted into the collapse of the roof of the chamber leaving a giant sink hole-like gas crater 25m deep and with a diameter of 60-70 meter exposed to the world.

The gas concentration inside the crater were so high that no one dared to go down. The exposed crater filled with poisonous natural gas threatened the danger of poisoning for the nearby population of Darvaza and the decision was made to ignite the gas in the crater. So the crater was set on fire as decided and it is burning since then. The Russians thought that the fire would go out after a few days but the hole is on fire continuously for the last 37 years.

The story now

Putting all the economic losses and the wastage of quality natural gase aside, the Door to Hell has been a serious ecological threat. In April 2010, the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow visited the site and ordered the crater to be closed and measurements be taken to limit its influence in the area.