Turkmenistan’s Iconic ‘Gates of Hell’ Tourist Site Could Soon Cease To Exist

Reports have emerged that Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has ordered for its iconic “Gates of Hell” site to be closed.

Officially called the Darvaza Crater, the site was formed in the 1970s when the ground caved in during a Soviet gas drilling project.

According to Cheddar, geologists decided to light the hole on fire to prevent the natural gas from spreading in the air, only expecting it to burn for a few weeks. But it’s still going. 

Despite the fact that the “Gates of Hell” is one of the country’s most recognizable tourist attractions, Berdymukhamedov wants the site to cease to exist, as per state-run daily Neytralny Turkmenistan. 

Several of the reasons he felt the fire should be put out include protecting the health of residents close by, as well as stopping the waste of natural gas used to fuel the fire and eliminating harmful carbon emissions from the blaze.

The newspaper reported that Turkmenistan’s Deputy Prime Minister was tasked with gathering scientists and tapping upon foreign experts in order to come up with a viable way to extinguish the fire.

CNN noted that there currently is no known deadline for the closing of the site, but if it’s on your bucket list, you might want to head there once the pandemic clears, before it vanishes for good.

[via CNN and Cheddar, cover image via Maurice Brand | Dreamstime.com]