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See Also
See Again
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
Does hell exist? - Hell is part of the imagery and beliefs of many cultures and religions around the world.
© iStock
1 / 30 Fotos
The Devil
- Judeo-Christian-Islamic culture, for example, references the devil, who, according to biblical accounts, is a fallen angel and leader of a legion of evil.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Portrayal
- The belief in this evil figure has often been represented in movies, for example in films like 'The Exorcist' and 'The Devil's Advocate.'
© BrunoPress
3 / 30 Fotos
Portrayal - The devil has also been associated with people with very difficult personalities, such as Meryl Streep's character in 'The Devil Wears Prada.'
© BrunoPress
4 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
5 / 30 Fotos
Where is it located? - But before you step in, we have to tell you where it is, right? Have you ever heard of Turkmenistan?
© iStock
6 / 30 Fotos
Context - Turkmenistan is an Muslim country located beside Afghanistan, Iran, and Kazakhstan.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
Speaking of beliefs... - The predominant religion in the country is Sunni Islam.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
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.
© iStock
9 / 30 Fotos
Territory - Most of Turkmenistan's territory consists of deserts.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Largest desert in the country - Let's explore the largest of them: the Karakum Desert, where the gate of hell is located.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
Door to hell
- The gate of hell is a fiery crater 20 meters deep in the middle of the desert.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Eternal fire?
- The fire has not gone out for more than 40 years. Do you know why?
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
The history
- Let us tell you this story! Like other neighboring countries, Turkmenistan was part of the now-defunct Soviet Union.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
Wealth opened the gate of hell? - The land in this region is rich in oil and natural gas.
© iStock
15 / 30 Fotos
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.
© iStock
16 / 30 Fotos
Created by men? - In an attempt to stop poisonous gas from escaping, the Soviets set fire to the crater.
© iStock
17 / 30 Fotos
Eternal fire? - The result is that, since then, the fire has never gone out.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Crater - This is the explanation for the formation of the Darvaza crater, which became known as the gate of hell.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Name - According to the American photographer John Bradley, who has taken numerous images of the area, the name "gate of hell" was given by local desert residents.
© iStock
20 / 30 Fotos
Sulfur smell - That's because, with the flames, the crater releases a smell of sulfur that can be detected from afar.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Force of nature - At night, the flames can be seen from kilometers away.
© iStock
22 / 30 Fotos
Satellite - Incredible images are easily captured by satellites.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
The end of hell? - In 2010, Turkmenistan's president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow first ordered its closure.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Reasons - The idea was to increase the production and export of natural gas to other countries.
© iStock
25 / 30 Fotos
Tourist attraction - But at the time, the gate of hell attracted many tourists and represented an important source of income for the local economy.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Verdict - The ruler decided to keep the crater running until the fire extinguishes naturally. In 2022, however, Berdimuhamedow has changed his mind and re-ordered the closure of the gate and the extinguishing of the fire.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Forecast - Due to the rich presence of gas in the soil of Turkmenistan, it is not known when it would actually extinguish naturally.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
Invitation
- In 2024, the Gates of Hell continue to burn and to attract many tourists. How about you? Would you like to visit the gate of hell? See also: Places Americans don’t visit—but definitely should
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
Does hell exist? - Hell is part of the imagery and beliefs of many cultures and religions around the world.
© iStock
1 / 30 Fotos
The Devil
- Judeo-Christian-Islamic culture, for example, references the devil, who, according to biblical accounts, is a fallen angel and leader of a legion of evil.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Portrayal
- The belief in this evil figure has often been represented in movies, for example in films like 'The Exorcist' and 'The Devil's Advocate.'
© BrunoPress
3 / 30 Fotos
Portrayal - The devil has also been associated with people with very difficult personalities, such as Meryl Streep's character in 'The Devil Wears Prada.'
© BrunoPress
4 / 30 Fotos
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.
© Shutterstock
5 / 30 Fotos
Where is it located? - But before you step in, we have to tell you where it is, right? Have you ever heard of Turkmenistan?
© iStock
6 / 30 Fotos
Context - Turkmenistan is an Muslim country located beside Afghanistan, Iran, and Kazakhstan.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
Speaking of beliefs... - The predominant religion in the country is Sunni Islam.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
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.
© iStock
9 / 30 Fotos
Territory - Most of Turkmenistan's territory consists of deserts.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Largest desert in the country - Let's explore the largest of them: the Karakum Desert, where the gate of hell is located.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
Door to hell
- The gate of hell is a fiery crater 20 meters deep in the middle of the desert.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Eternal fire?
- The fire has not gone out for more than 40 years. Do you know why?
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
The history
- Let us tell you this story! Like other neighboring countries, Turkmenistan was part of the now-defunct Soviet Union.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
Wealth opened the gate of hell? - The land in this region is rich in oil and natural gas.
© iStock
15 / 30 Fotos
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.
© iStock
16 / 30 Fotos
Created by men? - In an attempt to stop poisonous gas from escaping, the Soviets set fire to the crater.
© iStock
17 / 30 Fotos
Eternal fire? - The result is that, since then, the fire has never gone out.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Crater - This is the explanation for the formation of the Darvaza crater, which became known as the gate of hell.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Name - According to the American photographer John Bradley, who has taken numerous images of the area, the name "gate of hell" was given by local desert residents.
© iStock
20 / 30 Fotos
Sulfur smell - That's because, with the flames, the crater releases a smell of sulfur that can be detected from afar.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
Force of nature - At night, the flames can be seen from kilometers away.
© iStock
22 / 30 Fotos
Satellite - Incredible images are easily captured by satellites.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
The end of hell? - In 2010, Turkmenistan's president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow first ordered its closure.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Reasons - The idea was to increase the production and export of natural gas to other countries.
© iStock
25 / 30 Fotos
Tourist attraction - But at the time, the gate of hell attracted many tourists and represented an important source of income for the local economy.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Verdict - The ruler decided to keep the crater running until the fire extinguishes naturally. In 2022, however, Berdimuhamedow has changed his mind and re-ordered the closure of the gate and the extinguishing of the fire.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Forecast - Due to the rich presence of gas in the soil of Turkmenistan, it is not known when it would actually extinguish naturally.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
Invitation
- In 2024, the Gates of Hell continue to burn and to attract many tourists. How about you? Would you like to visit the gate of hell? See also: Places Americans don’t visit—but definitely should
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
The gate of hell is real (and we'll show you where it is)
The gate has now been ordered to close, check out the fiery site before it's extinguished
© Shutterstock
Regardless of religious traditions or beliefs about the existence or otherwise of hell, there is a place here on Earth, in the middle of a desert, which has been named as such: the gate of hell.
As it turns out, the fiery crater associated nominally with evil, though a popular tourist destination, is also negatively affecting the health of people living nearby, wasting valuable natural gas resources, and causing environmental damage. That's why the president of the region, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan, has recently ordered the closure of the mystifying site, CNN reports, calling to put out a fire that has been burning since the '70s.
At present, however, there is no known deadline for closing the proverbial gates. Want to know more? Click on the gallery!
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