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Turkmenistan's Door to Hell: A Diminishing Wonder

Turkmenistan's Door to Hell: A Diminishing Wonder

The Door to Hell (Darvaza crater) has burned since 1971 after a Soviet drilling accident. Flames are now ~1/3 original intensity, only visible at night. Remote location in Turkmenistan makes access difficult.

The Darvaza Gas Crater ("Door to Hell") in Turkmenistan is a 70-meter-wide burning natural gas crater in the Karakum Desert, created accidentally by Soviet geologists in 1971 when a drilling rig collapsed into an underground cavern. They set it on fire to burn off methane, expecting it to extinguish in weeks — it has been burning for over 50 years. As of 2025, the flames have diminished to approximately one-third of their original intensity and are now only clearly visible at night. The Turkmen government has periodically announced plans to extinguish it. Travel considerations: - Located in a remote desert, requiring a multi-day trip from the capital Ashgabat - Turkmenistan itself requires a visa and has restrictive tourism policies - The journey is often described as the hardest part — the crater itself can be underwhelming in daylight - Best experienced as an overnight camping trip to see the flames at night The crater's diminishing fire makes this increasingly time-sensitive for anyone considering the trip.

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Topic

Geography

Confidence

80%

Sources

1 source

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Created

April 04, 2026

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