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| The fiery crater known as the Door to Hell, has been flaming for more than 40 years. The crater is 230 feet wide and situated near Derweze village in Turkmenistan. |
The Karakum Desert, where Derweze is located, has one of the largest gas reserves in the world. Originally, the site was identified by Soviet scientists in 1971 as an area that was believed to house a substantial oil field. A camp and drilling rig were set up nearby and, after the Soviets were pleased with amount of gas resources that were believed to be at the site, it was agreed that gas from the field would start being stored.
However, the ground beneath the drilling rig soon collapsed, creating a wide crater that was believed to be releasing large quantities of methane gas, a potential danger to the nearby Turkmenistan villages. Scientists decided that the most efficient way to solve the problem would be to burn off the poisonous gases. By doing so, it was expected that all of the gas in the crater would be burnt off within days.
More than four decades later, Though, the crater is still ablaze and thousands of tourists flock to visit it every year. This was one of the hundred most bizarre places to visit before you die.
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