Derweze (Turkmen language: The Gate, also known as Darvaza) is a village in Turkmenistan of about 350 inhabitants, located in the middle of the Karakum Desert, about 260 km north from Ashgabat.
Darvaza inhabitants are mostly Turkmen of the Teke tribe, preserving a semi-nomadic lifestyle.
Crater was formed due to the failure of land for drilling equipment installed geologists. Such a collapse of land contributed cavity (void in the bosom of the earth). Such a collapse completely changed the plans for future drilling.
Began to come out of the well of natural gas, poisoning all life. So the scientists decided to set fire to it. Now this well is a deep hole, inside which blazing flames, reaching a length of 15 meters! Now, on the funnel come to see tourists from all countries. Of earthly failure began to appear natural methane gas, which is environmentally friendly. Urgent decision was made to burn methane, eliminating poisoning flora and fauna. At the moment, to Darwaza tourists like to come to witness the fiery crater.
The Derweze area is rich in natural gas. While drilling in 1971, Soviet geologists tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas. The ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a large hole with a diameter of 70 metres (230 ft) at 40°15′10″N 58°26′22″E. To avoid poisonous gas discharge, it was decided the best solution was to burn it off. Geologists had hoped the fire would use all the fuel in a matter of days, but the gas is still burning today. Locals have dubbed the cavern “The Door to Hell”
In 1971, when there were drilled an exploration well on the gas, suddenly fell into a cavern (underground cavity), and drilling collapsed. No one was injured, but went out of the ground gas. Given that it is not particularly deep drilled, decided to light the gas, so as not to poison the people and animals, and in the hope that it will end soon. But it turned out that the gas does not end up so far, and well lit now 39 years old. True, they say that the current president recently visited there and ordered her to put out all the same, because the flaring during this time not even dream of our oil industry, which recklessly firing associated gas in their fields.
Anyway, the show is fantastic. You can go to the edge and look down – expect to see a hell of a bottomless abyss, but in reality it is just a crater 20 – feet deep.
Gas escapes to the surface through the sandstone and ignited further fueling the already hot air.
The gates of hell are various locations on the surface of the world that have acquired a legendary reputation for being entrances to the underworld. Often they are found in regions of unusual geological activity, particularly volcanic areas, or sometimes at lakes, caves or mountains.