Wouldn’t you agree that some sites are synonymous with the country in which they are? Especially the iconic, larger-than-life epic ones. For instance, think of India, and the Taj Mahal leaps to mind. Likewise, think of South Africa, and it is Table Mountain. The list goes on.
For Turkmenistan, it is Darvaza, the ‘Door to Hell’ or ‘Gates of Hell,’ a burning inferno in a massive pit, deep in the Karakum Desert.
And yes, it is an appropriate synonym. No, not the Hell part. That is the touristy moniker.
Darvaza encapsulates the country’s recent history, geography, and economy all rolled into a bizarre visual spectacle, befitting a country that is different from any other. In Turkmenistan’s official documentation, the site is called ‘Shining of Karakum.’ 😊
Two-hundred-and-sixty kilometres north of its capital Ashgabat, the 70-metre-wide, 30-metre-deep methane gas crater has been burning non-stop since 1971. Its raging flames whip into the air, becoming more menacing, yet beautiful, as the desert is engulfed in total darkness at night.
Neither a natural wonder nor of any particular historical significance, Darvaza is the result of, simply put, an oil exploration gone astray.
In 1971, a group of state-led Soviet engineers were drilling in the area, looking for oil. However, their extraction platform collapsed and broke onto an underground cave. The result of this ‘accident’ was a crater, the size of a football stadium, pockmarked with methane gas leaks. The engineers set the crater on fire to prevent further gas emissions, under the assumption that it would burn out in a few days.
It has been 53 years since that day.
Karakum Desert, in which the Soviet engineers were drilling, covers 80 percent of Turkmenistan. It is a sandy desert devoid of rain or human habitation.
Little did the engineers know that beneath that barren desert on which nothing grew, was the world’s fourth largest gas reserves, sufficient to meet global needs for another 314 years.
If we were to put this in context, it is 10 percent of the world’s gas reserves, and when compared to the current major gas exporters: Russia has reserves for 55 years, and Qatar for 138 years. For the longest time, 1993 to 2019, this resource was provided free to the country’s residents for household use.
Luckily for Turkmenistan, the extent of its gas reserves was discovered in 2006. That’s 15 years after independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It was during the rule of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Turkmenistan’s second president [2006 – 2022].
There was no looking back for this least visited country in Central Asia after this magnificent find. Since independence, Turkmenistan had lived strictly on its Presidents’ own terms. Now it could do it with aplomb!
[Darvaza: from Sunset to Sunrise.
To see how the gas crater morphs itself from sunset to sunrise, click on an image below to enlarge it and start a slideshow. Use the arrow keys to navigate through the set. The captions specify the time the photo was taken.]
Travel tips:
- Staying there: I camped overnight a few metres away from the gas crater.
- Do go up the nearby hillock for some interesting views of the crater. Drones are not allowed in Turkmenistan.
- In addition to Darvaza, there is also a mud crater and water crater in the vicinity.
[Note: This blog post is part of a series from my travels to Turkmenistan for 12 days in October 2023. To read more posts in my Turkmenistan series, click here.]
rama toshi arya's blog 
it’s similar to my country ethiopia local place afar ”ertale”
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Ethiopia is very much on my bucket list! Hope I get to see your beautiful country some day soon. 🙂
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Oh wow, Turkmenistan was the one ‘stan’ we didn’t visit, mostly because visas are very difficult and expensive. I’m interested in reading more 🙂 Maggie
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I loved Turkmenistan! One of the most interesting countries I have been to. I managed to cover quite a lot of ground whilst there. It is also one country I would happily go back to. 5 more posts coming up in the Turkmenistan series. Hope you enjoy reading them too. 🙂
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The pictures are incredible! How close did you get? It must be extremely hot and dangerous. You are enlightening all of us who had no idea that such a thing existed!
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Very close. Like a few inches away. 🙂 It is hot and dangerous, so one needs to be careful. But also incredibly beautiful, especially from sunset to sunrise. Turkmenistan is a fascinating country. So very many interesting unique sites, and warm friendly people.
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I love the sequence of pictures. What was the atmosphere like? Was there a smell? Was there any sound? And what what it like at night between the heat of the flames and the cold of the desert?
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Thank you. 🙂 It is a surreal place. Like a dream. No smell as such. No sound. Just silence and the flames. The desert gets really dark and chilly at night, so sitting by the rim was like sitting next to a huge fireplace. Comfy. Magical. But being well aware that one wrong step, and in a few seconds one could be charred to death.
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I have seen this Darwaza in a couple of YouTube videos, one of the most recent ones was of the ItchyBoots. However, your blog was more in depth. Thanks, for sharing this, Rama.
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Glad you liked it, Arvind! I like to think my blog readers are looking for indepth well-rounded information, and are interested in all aspects of a country when they travel. That they want to know more, beyond the obvious, especially how things are connected. So, I try. 🙂
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Well said. It’s your own experience and perspective that makes your post interesting and useful
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I read that the government was (is still?) thinking to extinguish the fires within that crater. But given how popular the site is I wonder if it’s better to leave it that way. Look forward to more posts on this least visited country in Central Asia, Arya!
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Yes, you read right. The Turkmenistan government has been thinking of closing Darvaza for a while as methane emissions are harmful, and a natural resource is literally being burnt away. But, in the same token, Darvaza is also one of the country’s most popular tourist sites and one of Turkmenistan’s largest tour companies has even built a permanent campsite a short walk away replete with bathrooms and dining area. I did not stay in it. Had camped on the other side, but the built campsite was full of Chinese and British tourists the day I was there. I personally loved the country. It is super interesting in so many ways. Thank you for stopping by and always leaving behind a kind word of support!
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Fascinating! I thought I knew about things in the world, but I stand corrected. It is a shame I came across your webspace so late. This particular site apart, your blog is an eye opener for travel enthusiasts like me.
Hoping to be amazed in days and years yet to be. Keep rocking
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Thanks much, Sri. Welcome to my blog. 🙂 Hope you enjoy reading my upcoming posts as well.
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Beautifully written as always. Awe inspiring photos and write up.
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Thank you! It is an awe-inspiring site. Though I discovered from another traveller yesterday that the government will be building an airstrip near it so as to attract more tourists. Which is a pity, because a large part of Darvaza’s charm is its remoteness and the empty, uninhabited, unlit Karakum Desert around it for miles. Am glad I got to see it in its somewhat original uncommercialized form. 🙂
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So interesting! Thanks for posting.
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Thank you for stopping by! Turkmenistan is a very interesting country. 🙂
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