The land where the fire has burned for 4,000 years without stopping

Regardless of rain or snow, the eternal flame in Azerbaijan has been burning continuously for thousands of years.

Azerbaijan is a small country located between Eastern Europe and Central Asia, known as the "land of fire". Tourists to Azerbaijan often visit the mountainside on the Absheron Peninsula, about 14 km from the capital Baku. This is where a strange fire appears that burns all year round.

Aliyeva Rahila, a tour guide in Azerbaijan, said the place where the strange fire occurred was named Yanar Dag by the locals, meaning "burning mountainside". The Yanar Dag mountainside is home to many natural gas deposits. Thousands of years ago, geological changes occurred in this area that caused the Earth's crust to fracture, causing gas to continuously escape, causing the fire to flare up. The fire here stretched about 10 meters along the mountainside.

A fire that has burned for thousands of years on the slopes of the Absheron Peninsula, Azerbaijan. Photo: Must see spots. — A fire that has burned for thousands of years on the slopes of the Absheron Peninsula, Azerbaijan. Photo: *Must see spots.*

In the past, fires caused by gas leaks occurred frequently in Azerbaijan, but this phenomenon caused a decrease in underground gas pressure, hindering commercial gas extraction, so most of them were extinguished. The fire at Yanar Dag is one of the few remaining and has become a popular tourist attraction to this day.

In addition to the natural science perspective, Yanar Dag is also a place that holds many important historical and cultural marks for the Azerbaijani people. This land has been the footprint of many explorers. The strange fire on Yanar Dag mountain also appears in many ancient documents dating back to the 13th century.

Italian explorer Marco Polo wrote about mysterious phenomena when he passed through Azerbaijan in the 13th century. Merchants traveling along the Silk Road also passed on stories of mysterious fires as they traveled to other countries. Due to their widespread popularity, Azerbaijan was dubbed the "land of fire".

Fire has played an important role in Azerbaijani culture since ancient times. In the first years BC, the ancient Zoroastrian religion in Azerbaijan worshiped fire. Meanwhile, the Zoroastrian religion worshiped the god of fire, a practice that originated in Iran.

Zoroastrians believe that fire connects humans with the supernatural, helping to open up wisdom. In addition, fire also sustains life, purifies the environment and is always present in worship and sacrifices.

Therefore, the fires created by nature were considered sacred by the ancient Azerbaijanis. Today, the religious elements surrounding the Yanar Dag fire have gradually faded. Most tourists come here out of curiosity and want to admire the surrounding natural landscape.

The most impressive experience is at night, or in winter, says guide Rahila. When snow falls near the fire, the flakes melt into the air before they hit the ground. At night, the fire flares up, lighting up the entire mountainside.

Visitors traveling about 30 minutes north from the capital Baku will reach this location. Around the Yanar Dag mountain area, there is only one small cafe and not many services for tourists.

For a deeper look into Azerbaijan’s history of fire worship, head east of Baku to the Ateshgah Fire Temple. The temple was built in the 17th and 18th centuries by migrants from India who came to Baku. The name Ateshgah comes from the Persian word for “house of fire.” Thousands of years ago, ancient Azerbaijanis believed that the god of fire resided here.

The center of the temple has a shrine that once had a natural flame. However, this flame went out in 1969. Since then, the flame has only been lit during ceremonies or for tourists.

Ateshgah Temple became a museum in 1975. The site was also nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status in 1998. As of December 2022, Azerbaijan receives about 15,000 tourists per year.

Bich Phuong

According to CNN

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