It’s a giant, fiery hole in the middle of a desert. People call it the Darvaza Gas Crater, but most know it as the Door to Hell. Imagine driving through the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan—a place that is basically just endless sand and scrub—and suddenly seeing a glow on the horizon. It’s not a sunset. It’s a 230-foot-wide pit that has been burning for decades. It's weird. It’s terrifying. And honestly, almost everything you’ve heard about how it started is probably wrong.
Most internet articles tell the same story. They say Soviet engineers were drilling for oil in 1971, the ground collapsed, and they lit it on fire to stop poisonous gas from spreading, thinking it would burn out in a few weeks. It didn't. But if you talk to local Turkmen geologists or researchers like George Kourounis—the first person to actually rappel into the bottom of the crater—the timeline gets a lot murkier. Some evidence suggests the collapse happened in the 1960s and it didn't even start burning until the 1980s.
The mystery is part of the draw.
The Messy Reality of the Darvaza Gas Crater
The Soviet Union wasn't exactly known for keeping meticulous public records of their industrial accidents. When the drilling rig collapsed into a cavern filled with natural gas, it created a massive sinkhole. This isn't just a "hole." It's a thermodynamic nightmare. The crater is about 65 feet deep. The heat is so intense that you can't stand at the edge for more than a few minutes without feeling like your skin is roasting.
Why does it keep burning?
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Turkmenistan sits on one of the largest natural gas reserves on the planet. The Darvaza Gas Crater is basically a chimney for a massive underground reservoir. Because the gas is under pressure, it constantly leaks through the loose soil and fractures at the bottom of the pit. As long as there is fuel and oxygen, the fire stays alive. It’s a self-sustaining accidental furnace.
Why Turkmenistan Wants to Put It Out
You’d think a permanent fire pit would be a tourism goldmine. For a long time, it was. But the Turkmen government has a complicated relationship with the site. In 2022, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov (and later his son, the current president) ordered experts to find a way to extinguish the flames.
There are a few reasons for this:
- Health concerns: People living in the nearby village of Darvaza (which was actually dismantled years ago) and passing travelers are exposed to the fumes.
- Economic waste: Every second that fire burns, Turkmenistan is literally burning money. That’s natural gas that could be captured, piped, and sold to Europe or China.
- Environmental impact: The constant release of methane—even burnt methane—isn't great for the local ecosystem.
It’s a logistical nightmare to stop it. You can’t just pour water on a gas fire of this scale; the heat would just turn the water to steam instantly, and the gas would keep rising. Some have suggested using a massive concrete dome or even explosives to "snuff" the flame by depleting the oxygen, but the risk of the gas just leaking out elsewhere is too high. If you put out the fire but don't stop the leak, you just end up with a giant pit of invisible, odorless, explosive gas. That’s arguably much more dangerous than a visible fire.
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What It’s Like at the Edge
If you actually make the trek out there, don't expect a gift shop or a guardrail. This is raw. You usually have to hire a 4x4 driver from Ashgabat. The drive is several hours of jarring desert tracks. Once you arrive, the scale hits you.
The sound is the first thing you notice. It doesn't crackle like a campfire. It roars. It sounds like a jet engine idling in the distance.
The smell is sulfurous. Kind of like rotten eggs, but mixed with a heavy metallic scent. When the wind shifts, the heat hits you like an oven door opening. It’s one of the few places on Earth where you can feel the sheer, unbridled power of the planet’s internal pressure.
In 2013, George Kourounis went down there. He wore a heat-reflective suit and used a Kevlar harness. He found extremophile bacteria living at the bottom—life forms that thrive in high-temperature, methane-rich environments. It turns out the "Door to Hell" is actually a laboratory for how life might exist on other planets.
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The Tourism Paradox
Turkmenistan is one of the most difficult countries in the world to visit. Their visa process is notoriously fickle. Yet, the Darvaza Gas Crater remains their biggest calling card. It’s a weird paradox. The government wants to be known for its white-marble capital city, Ashgabat, but the world only wants to see the flaming hole in the dirt.
Recent travelers report that the "wild" feel of the place is changing. There are now small fences in some areas and more organized yurt camps for overnight stays. Watching the crater at 3:00 AM under a sky with zero light pollution is, honestly, a spiritual experience for some. The contrast between the cold desert night and the orange glow is something photos can’t quite capture.
Myths vs. Science
Let's clear some things up. Is it a volcano? No. Is it "infinite"? No, eventually the pressure in the gas pocket will drop, though that could take another century. Is it dangerous? Yes. People have fallen in. It is a sheer drop with loose, sandy edges that crumble under your weight.
There's also the "Siberian Hole" confusion. People often mix up Darvaza with the methane craters appearing in the Russian permafrost. Those are caused by melting ice; Darvaza was a man-made industrial disaster. It’s important to distinguish between "climate change" holes and "we messed up a drill site" holes.
How to Actually See It (If It's Still Burning)
If you’re planning a trip, time is of the essence. The government’s talk about closing it isn't just talk; they are actively seeking international consultants to seal the leak.
- Get a Letter of Invitation (LOI): You can't just fly to Turkmenistan. you need a state-approved travel agency to sponsor your visa.
- Hire a Guide: You will not find the crater on your own in a rental car. The desert tracks are confusing and the sand is deep.
- Pack for Extremes: It might be 100 degrees during the day and near freezing at night.
- Stay Overnight: Seeing it in the daylight is cool, but seeing it in total darkness is the whole point.
The Darvaza Gas Crater represents a strange intersection of human error, geological power, and accidental beauty. It is a reminder that our attempts to harness nature often result in consequences we can't control. Whether it's extinguished next year or burns for another fifty, it remains the most iconic "oops" in the history of the energy industry.
Practical Steps for Exploration
- Check the Visa Status: As of 2026, Turkmenistan's visa policies remain strict. Contact the nearest embassy at least three months before your planned departure.
- Consult a Specialist Agency: Look for operators like Stan Tours or Advantour who specialize in Central Asian logistics.
- Verify Site Access: Before booking, confirm with local guides that the site hasn't been closed for "extinguishment works," as the government occasionally blocks access for surveys.
- Gear Up: Bring a high-quality face mask (N95 or better) to filter out dust and occasional heavy gas odors, especially if you have respiratory sensitivities.