"Darvaza" translated from Persian means "gate" and this place, located 90 km from the village of Erbent, is often called the "Door to the underworld" or "Gates of Hell". The crater is about 20 meters deep and 60 meters in diameter.
In 1971, near the Turkmen village of Darvaza, Soviet geologists discovered an accumulation of underground gas. While drilling an exploration well, people stumbled upon a kind of void inside and the earth began to collapse. As a result, a huge hole was formed, oozing gas, into which the oil rig and other equipment of the geologists collapsed. In this incident, miraculously, no one was hurt.
The natural gas released to the surface was harmful to both humans and animals. Therefore, while no one was poisoned, it was very quickly decided to set it on fire. Geologists assumed that the fire would go out in a few days, but since 1971 the gas has been continuously burning day and night.
Darvaza was called the "Gates of Hell" for a reason. Any living creature that has fallen down is unable to get out and is doomed to burn in the inferno of pillars of fire, the height of which can reach 15 meters. The crater with hot air, piercing with tongues of flame, repeatedly became the last haven for wild animals and unwary people who came too close to crumbling edges.
In 2010, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited Darvaza and said that the crater should be filled up or other measures should be taken to limit its impact on gas production at other fields in the region. But as far as we know, the "Door to the Underworld" burns to this day, delighting travelers with a "hellish" glow.