A burning crater in the middle of Karakum desert could become Turkmenistan's new tourism hotspot, thanks to new plans from the government.
Situated about 270 kilometres north of the capital Ashgabat near Derweze village, the so-called Door to Hell is the result of a drilling blunder by Soviet scientists.
Turkmenistan tourist officials hope the crate will help boost visitor numbers in the former Soviet state, which currently welcomes just 12,00 to 15,000 people from around 50 countries each year. The pit, situated within a natural gas fields, was created after a drilling rig collapsed in 1971. Fearing that large quantities of methane gas could be emitted from the crate and harm the nearby town, scientists decided to set it on fire, expecting it to burn off within days.
More than four decades later, though, the crater is still ablaze - and hundreds of tourists flock to visit it every year. And the country’s government is now looking to turn it into a key destination for adventure tourists.
Read more and see additional pictures
Photo Caters, Daily Mail
*****************************************************************************
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for visiting my blog. Your comments are always appreciated, but please do not include links.