Have you ever traveled to Turkmenistan via Google Maps? Then you might have already come across a special place called the “Gate to Hell”.
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The so-called Karakum Desert can be found in Turkmenistan, Central Asia. And right there you can even use Google Maps to observe a spectacle that is as fascinating as it is awe-inspiring to many people. A special crater can be found there, the “Darvasa Gas Crater”. Very few people know it, because this geological phenomenon is generally known as „Gate to Hell“also known as the “Gate to Hell”.
How does the crater get its name?
The reason for this mystical name is quickly explained: 1971 the crater was created and it has been burning continuously ever since. Feel free to use Google Maps and look at the crater from above. The “Gate to Hell” can be seen very conspicuously and unmistakably and the closer you zoom in, the better you can see the crater glowing. However, if you now believe that this is an exciting natural spectacle, this is unfortunately only partially true, because humans were not entirely uninvolved in this obscure phenomenon.
The world has many more spooky places in store for you. You can also find these on Google Maps:
How did the gate to hell come about?
In 1971 the crater was created by a Soviet drilling rig. The structures and equipment began drilling for oil and came across a cave filled with plenty of gas. This released an explosion and the Soviet drilling rig fell into the depths. That is probably where it is still located, behind the “gate to hell” so to speak. The area then became quite dangerous because a poisonous gas escaped from the crater. Therefore, the Soviet representatives set fire to the crater and ignited it in order to avoid a major environmental disaster. The crater is still burning to this day, but in 2022 the last Turkmen president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, initiated research into a way to extinguish the crater, i.e. to close the “gate to hell”.
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