The Darvaza Gas Crater (Turkmen: Garagum ýalkymy), more famously and ominously known as the “Door to Hell” or “Gates of Hell,” is a spectacular and surreal man-made phenomenon located in the heart of the vast Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. It is a large cavernous crater, about 70 meters in diameter and 30 meters deep, from which flames fueled by natural gas have been burning continuously for over five decades. This ever-burning pit in the middle of an otherwise barren landscape creates a mesmerizing, otherworldly spectacle, especially at night when its fiery glow can be seen from miles away. It has become Turkmenistan’s most famous and enigmatic tourist attraction.

Name and Address

• Name: Darvaza Gas Crater (also known as the Door to Hell, Gates of Hell, or officially the “Shining of Karakum”).
• Address: Located in the Karakum Desert, near the former village of Darvaza (Derweze), Ahal Province, Turkmenistan. It is approximately 260 kilometers (160 miles) north of the capital city, Ashgabat.

How to Get There

Visiting the Darvaza Gas Crater is an off-road adventure, requiring travel through the remote desert.

• Starting Point: The journey almost always begins from the capital city of Ashgabat.
• By Guided Tour (Highly Recommended): This is the most common and practical way to visit. Tour operators in Ashgabat arrange overnight trips in 4×4 vehicles. This typically includes transportation, a guide, meals (often a desert BBQ), and accommodation in a tent or yurt camp set up near the crater.
• By Car/Taxi: It is possible to hire a private taxi from Ashgabat. The drive along the main highway takes about 3-4 hours. However, the final 7-8 kilometers from the highway to the crater are across rough, sandy desert tracks, which absolutely require a 4×4 vehicle and a driver with experience navigating the area.
• Visitor Tip: The crater is at its most spectacular at night. An overnight trip is essential to fully experience the fiery glow against the dark desert sky. There are no hotels or permanent facilities at the site, so all supplies, including water and food, must be brought in.

Landscape and Architecture

The “architecture” of the Darvaza Gas Crater is a unique and dramatic feature created by an industrial accident, set within the vast, stark landscape of one of the world’s largest sand deserts.

• The Karakum Desert: The crater is located in the middle of the Karakum Desert, a vast and arid landscape of rolling sand dunes and sparse vegetation. The sense of isolation and remoteness is a huge part of the experience.
• The Crater: The crater itself is a collapsed cavern. Its floor and walls are a chaotic landscape of sand and rock, pierced by hundreds of fissures from which methane gas escapes. These fissures are the source of the countless individual fires that burn across the crater.
• The Eternal Flames: The main “feature” is the perpetual fire. The flames dance and roar, creating a sound often compared to a jet engine. At night, the crater emits an intense, mesmerizing orange glow that illuminates the surrounding desert and the night sky.
• Other Craters: In the vicinity, there are two other, non-burning craters of a similar origin: a water crater filled with turquoise water and a mud crater where gas bubbles up through liquid clay. These are often included as stops on a tour.

What Makes It Famous

The Darvaza Gas Crater is famous for being a unique, bizarre, and visually stunning intersection of industrial accident and natural wonder.

• The “Door to Hell” Spectacle: Its primary claim to fame is its dramatic and unforgettable appearance. The image of a massive, fiery pit burning endlessly in the middle of a vast desert is a powerful and unique spectacle that has captured the imagination of travelers worldwide.
• The Mysterious Origin Story: The crater is shrouded in a compelling, though not officially confirmed, origin story. The most widely told version is that in 1971, a Soviet drilling rig accidentally punctured a natural gas cavern, causing the ground to collapse. Fearing the release of poisonous gases, geologists set the crater on fire, expecting it to burn out in a few weeks. It has been burning ever since.
• A Symbol of Turkmenistan: For better or worse, the crater has become the most iconic and internationally recognized symbol of Turkmenistan’s mysterious and otherworldly landscapes.

Differences from Other Wonders

The Darvaza Gas Crater is a completely unique attraction that stands in stark contrast to other historical or natural sites.

• A Man-Made Anomaly vs. a Natural Formation: Unlike natural wonders such as Charyn Canyon or Lake Kaindy, the Darvaza Gas Crater is the result of human intervention—an industrial accident. Its fame comes from this bizarre and unintended consequence, making it a monument to both nature’s power and human miscalculation.
• A Fiery Spectacle vs. Architectural Grandeur: The experience at the crater is raw, elemental, and almost intimidating. This is completely different from the refined, historical, and architectural grandeur of sites like the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi or the futuristic marble city of Ashgabat.
• A Singular, Intense Focus: A trip to Darvaza is focused on witnessing one single, overwhelming phenomenon. This contrasts with a visit to a historical city like Merv or Konye-Urgench, which involves exploring a wide area with multiple ruins and a deep historical context. The crater’s appeal is immediate, visceral, and centered on the power of the ever-burning flames.