The gate of hell is open - Did you know that there is a place in the middle of a desert, which is known as the gate of hell? If you are curious to know more about this story, click on the gallery and check it out.

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Does hell exist? - Hell is part of the imagery and beliefs of many cultures and religions around the world.

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The Devil - Judeo-Christian culture, for example, references the devil who, according to biblical accounts, is a fallen angel and leader of a legion of evil.

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Portrayal - The belief in this evil figure has often been represented in the movies, for example in films like 'The Exorcist' and 'The Devil's Advocate.'

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Portrayal - The devil has also been associated with people with a very difficult personality, such as Maryl Streep's character in 'The Devil Wears Prada.'

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Welcome to hell - We now take you through the door of hell. But rest assured that you will not find the devil or any other evil creatures there.

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Where is it located? - But before you step in, we have to tell you where it is, right? Have you ever heard of Turkmenistan?

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Context - Turkmenistan is an Arab country located beside Afghanistan, Iran and Kazakhstan.

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Speaking of beliefs... - The predominant religion in the country is Sunni Islam.

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Tourism - If you wish to pay a visit to the country, it is helpful to know that the capital is called Ashkhabad and the local currency is the Turkmenistan manat.

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Territory - Most of Turkmenistan's territory consists of deserts.

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Largest desert in the country - Let's explore the largest of them: the Karakum Desert, where the gate of hell is located.

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Door to hell - The gate of hell is a fiery crater 20 m deep in the middle of the desert.

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Eternal fire? - The fire has not gone out for more than 40 years. Do you know why?

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The history - Let us tell you this story! Like other neighboring countries, Turkmenistan was part of the now-defunct Soviet Union.

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Wealth opened the gate of hell? - The land in this region is rich in oil and natural gas.

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Wealth opened the gate of hell? - In 1971 two Soviet geologists drilled the site to extract gas, but the ground gave way and formed the crater.

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Created by men? - In an attempt to stop poisonous gas from escaping, the Soviets set fire to the crater.

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Eternal fire? - The result is that, since then, the fire has never gone out.

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Crater - This is the explanation for the formation of the Darvaza crater, which became known as the gate of hell.

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Name - According to the American photographer John Bradley, who has taken numerous images of the place, the name 'gate of hell' was given by local desert residents.

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Sulfur smell - That's because, with the flames, the crater releases a smell of sulfur that can be detected from afar.

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Force of nature - At night, the flames can be seen from kilometers away.

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Satellite - Incredible images are easily captured by satellites.

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The end of hell? - In 2010, Turkmenistan's president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow ordered its closure.

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Reasons - The idea was to increase the production and export of natural gas to other countries.

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Tourist attraction - But at the time the gate of hell attracted many tourists and represented an important source of income for the local economy.

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Verdict - The ruler has decided to keep the crater running until the fire extinguishes naturally.

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Forecast - Due to the rich presence of gas in the soil of Turkmenistan, it is not known when it will actually extinguish naturally.

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Invitation -

How about you? Would you like to visit the gate of hell?

See also: The mysterious story behind Japan's Devil's Sea

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