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.
DOES HELL EXIST?
Hell is part of the imagery and beliefs of many cultures and religions around the world.
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.’
PORTRAYAL
The devil has also been associated with people with a very difficult personality, such as Meryl Streep’s character in ‘The Devil Wears Prada.’
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.
WHERE IS IT LOCATED?
But before you step in, we have to tell you where it is, right? Have you ever heard of Turkmenistan?
CONTEXT
Turkmenistan is an Arab country located beside Afghanistan, Iran and Kazakhstan.
SPEAKING OF BELIEFS…
The predominant religion in the country is Sunni Islam.
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.
TERRITORY
Most of Turkmenistan’s territory consists of deserts.
LARGEST DESERT IN THE COUNTRY
Let’s explore the largest of them: the Karakum Desert, where the gate of hell is located.
DOOR TO HELL
The gate of hell is a fiery crater 20 m deep in the middle of the desert.
ETERNAL FIRE?
The fire has not gone out for more than 40 years. Do you know why?
THE HISTORY
Let us tell you this story! Like other neighboring countries, Turkmenistan was part of the now-defunct Soviet Union.
WEALTH OPENED THE GATE OF HELL?
The land in this region is rich in oil and natural gas.
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.
CREATED BY MEN?
In an attempt to stop poisonous gas from escaping, the Soviets set fire to the crater.
ETERNAL FIRE?
The result is that, since then, the fire has never gone out.
CRATER
This is the explanation for the formation of the Darvaza crater, which became known as the gate of hell.
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.
SULFUR SMELL
That’s because, with the flames, the crater releases a smell of sulfur that can be detected from afar.
FORCE OF NATURE
At night, the flames can be seen from kilometers away.
SATELLITE
Incredible images are easily captured by satellites.
THE END OF HELL?
In 2010, Turkmenistan’s president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow ordered its closure.
REASONS
The idea was to increase the production and export of natural gas to other countries.
TOURIST ATTRACTION
But at the time the gate of hell attracted many tourists and represented an important source of income for the local economy.
VEREDICT
The ruler has decided to keep the crater running until the fire extinguishes naturally.
FORECAST
Due to the rich presence of gas in the soil of Turkmenistan, it is not known when it will actually extinguish naturally.
INVITATION
How about you? Would you like to visit the gate of hell?
