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What am I talking about?🔥
An industrial accident that became a tourist attraction: the Gates of Hell in Turkmenistan. In the middle of a desert in Central Asia, this gas crater has been burning for over 50 years.
It was in 1971 when Soviet geologists drilled into the ground and accidentally opened an underground natural gas cavern. To prevent toxic gases from seeping out of the earth, they set the crater on fire. Nearly half a century later, it is still burning.
Foto: Kalpak Travel.
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Gates of Hell🇹🇲
The Darvaza crater is better known as the Gates of Hell. It measures between 60 and 70 meters in diameter and 30 meters deep.
It is located in the Karakum Desert, near the province of Darvaza, about four hours by car from Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. The road is winding, and the journey can take longer.
Although the most popular theory about its origin involves the Soviet geologists, some local geologists tell a different story. They believe a gas crater collapsed in the 1960s, and it wasn't until 1980 that scientists set it on fire in hopes of preventing toxic gas emissions.
What is certain is that neither version anticipated the abyss would burn for decades.
By 2013, National Geographic sponsored an expedition to explore the crater floor. This feat involved descending into the abyss, reaching the bottom, and taking soil samples. The person responsible: George Kourounis, a Greek-Canadian adventurer who specializes in documenting extreme weather conditions.
It took two years of planning, a specially designed suit for the journey, and 17 minutes inside Hell. The goal? To take gas readings and soil samples before returning to the surface.
"Those 17 minutes are etched very deeply in my brain. It was much more terrifying, much hotter, and bigger than I expected."
A Safe Journey👷♂️
Before 2022, it was possible to visit the Gates of Hell by booking a tour with local guides. These included round-trip transportation from Ashgabat to Darvaza, as well as food and drinks. Since then, visits are now possible, but not always available. The government frequently closes the site.
A daytime tour lasted seven to eight hours. Once near the crater, visitors could approach and watch its flames burn. If time was short, catching the sunset was an option — the interplay of natural sky light and the flames gave a whole new meaning to the entrance to hell.
For a longer experience, camping was available. Booking a tour with Owadan included a stay at the Yurt Camp glamping site, while Advantour provided all the equipment for traditional camping. The best view of the crater was at night, when the fire could be seen blazing most clearly.
The recommended season to visit was October through April, when temperatures are not extreme, since visiting a desert in summer means scorching days and cold nights.
The Yule Lads come with equally fascinating relatives: their mother Grýla, a child-eating ogress who makes stew from naughty children, and the Yule Cat, a massive feline that devours anyone not wearing new clothes by Christmas. These folklore figures reflect Iceland's harsh historical conditions and served as powerful incentives for good behavior during long, dark winters.
FAQs❓️
What was needed to visit?
Virtually all foreign citizens wishing to enter Turkmenistan need a visa and a Letter of Invitation (LOI) authorized by the State Migration Service. Also, your passport must have more than six months of validity remaining for the visa process to go smoothly. Travel insurance with international coverage is also required.
Are the Gates of Hell still burning?
Barely. As of late 2025 and early 2026, the crater that once lit up the Karakum Desert for miles has been reduced to scattered pockets of small flames. It is a ghost of its former self.
Who ordered the closure in 2022, and why?
President Berdimuhamedov cited three main reasons: negative effects on the health of people living nearby; the waste of valuable natural gas resources; and environmental damage. Scientists and foreign experts were instructed to find the best technical approach.
What is the current plan to extinguish it?
The current official plan, developed by the Scientific Research Institute of Natural Gas under Turkmengaz, involves drilling a well near the field to limit the flow of gas to the crater and extract it from all geological layers. The project was at the stage of practical preparation as of early 2026.
Is it closed permanently?
All indications point to yes. The fire itself has diminished dramatically, and the government has a formal engineering plan to complete its extinguishing. Although many agencies removed it from their tours for a couple of years, it's now possible to visit the nearly extinct Gates of Hell again. Some travel agencies offer the complete tour. Asia Odyssey Travel is one of them.
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See you next time,
