As the sun set over the Karakum, the crater took on new dimensions and an eerie orange glow emanated from below. We toasted our achievement of reaching this incredible spot. I grabbed a couple of beers from the vehicle and handed one to my friend. The Gates of Hell TurkmenistanĪnother jeep was parked a little way up the hill and further on we could see a hut and some tents lined up under a ridge. Unlike the water crater, there were no ropes or barriers here. The noise and the heat were something else.Įvery few seconds a “whoosh” of flames would flare up from the bottom and a gust of hot air would almost knock you off your feet. **Please note: There is now a fence surrounding the crater so it’s no longer possible to get so close to the edge! **ĭumbstruck, we walked around the crater taking photograph after photograph from every conceivable angle. “Okay boys, two metres” Andrej whispered. We pulled up and got out to inspect this incredible site. We bumped down some tyre tracks and in front of us was The Door to Hell! The jeep sped down towards the crater and I prayed that the breaks were in good order. After leaving the main Ashgabat – Konye Urgench Highway we drove up into the sand dunes, before entering some greenish-brown pasture and scrub. We arrived at the Darvaza gas crater at around 7pm. We walked around taking pictures and were able to duck under the rope to get a better look.ĭarvaza Gas Crater – Gates of Hell Turkmenistan The Darvaza Gas Crater (Gates of Hell Turkmenistan) Andrej pulled the vehicle up to the rope barrier and issued his usual instruction “Okay boys, ten minutes!” It was an impressively sized hole, filled with greeny/blue water, and sadly a huge pile of plastic bottles which only became visible from a certain angle.īeyond the crater the sun was beginning to set over the desert, casting an orange glow over the scrub. We left the road and soon came upon a large crater in the desert. “Okay boys…” he would whisper in his throaty, accented English “ten minutes” he would tell us when we stopped for a toilet break and cigarette. The 20-year-old Toyota Hilux was a sturdy machine and coped well with the numerous potholes covering the road.Īs did our driver Andrej – a gruff, blonde-haired Russian in his fifties with a hoarse voice and melancholic character. The journey from Ashgabat was an enjoyable one. You might also like these articles about Central Asia: ![]() Police and soldiers patrol every important building and more fool anyone who happens to walk past with a camera in their hand! White marble is shipped in vast quantities from Europe to create a cityscape like no other and gold statues of former president Saparmurat Niyazov line the parks and streets. Spotless, empty streets, a former President who renamed bread after his mother and a capital city that looks like Las Vegas on steroids but with the population of a post-apocalyptic world. The republic of Turkmenistan is a strange place. He has been saying this since at least 2010, however, he has now appeared on national television and ordered experts to find a way to put out the flames. Update January 2022: Yet again current Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has called for the flames at Davaza to be extinguished. That being said, there is plenty to see in this fascinating country, not least the Gates of Hell! Things have improved slightly since the passing of former President Saparamurat Niyazov (Turkmenbashi), however, the country is still a police state with a repressive regime that sits alongside North Korea in terms of press freedom. The Gates of Hell Turkmenistan is one of the country’s major attractions, however, Turkmenistan isn’t really geared up for tourism. ![]() The Darvaza Gas Crater, also known as the Door to Hell or Gates of Hell, has to be seen to be believed! Situated in the middle of the Karakum Desert in reclusive Turkmenistan, this accidental man-made marvel is well and truly off the beaten track and is one of the top landmarks in Asia. Getting to the Gates of Hell Turkmenistan. ![]() Darvaza Gas Crater – Gates of Hell Turkmenistan.
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