Darvaza gas crater, Burning natural gas crater in the Karakum Desert, Ahal Region, Turkmenistan
The Darvaza gas crater is a roughly circular pit 60–70 metres across and about 30 metres deep, with steep walls of layered, scorched brown and orange rock. Hundreds of small yellow and orange flames burn across its rubble-strewn floor and lower slopes, with the brightest cluster near the centre.
Soviet geologists triggered the collapse in 1971 during drilling operations for natural gas extraction, causing their equipment to fall into an underground chamber and prompting them to ignite the escaping gas to prevent its spread, which resulted in continuous burning over the following decades.
Locals call it jähenneme açylan gapy, the gate opening to hell, while the state name is Garagum ýalkymy, the Shining of Karakum. The village of Darvaza was abolished by presidential decision in 2004, and in 2018 the crater served as an overnight stop on the Amul-Hazar automobile rally.
Access requires pre-arranged transportation through unmarked desert tracks from Ashgabat, with visitors needing to hire guides familiar with the region and carry sufficient water, food, and fuel for the approximately 160-mile (260-kilometer) journey, as no facilities exist at the location.
In 2013 George Kourounis became the first person to reach the crater floor, descending on Technora ropes in a Kevlar harness and a full-body aluminized suit with a self-contained breathing apparatus. He collected soil samples for the Extreme Microbiome Project and found bacteria living in the hot, isolated ecosystem at the bottom.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,408 contributors worldwide.
