Finally we reached the Door to Hell!

After hours and hours of dirt roads, rough terrain, and potholes, we finally arrived at the Door to Hell, perhaps the place for which Turkmenistan is most famous worldwide.

The Door to Hell is a natural gas crater that has been burning continuously since 1971.
It originated after the collapse of a Soviet gas well in the 1960s. To prevent methane from escaping into the environment, the Soviets set the well on fire, thinking the gas would burn off quickly... well there were wrong!

Compared to the past, the crater burns much less today, a sign that the underground gas flow is gradually depleting. Additionally, there have been multiple discussions in Turkmenistan about permanently closing the well, so if you want to visit, it’s better to hurry.Read more