Why Turkmenistan’s decades old ‘door to hell’ is fading

For more than half a century, a giant crater of fire has glowed in the middle of Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert, drawing travellers from around the world and earning the nicknames “door to hell” or “gates if hell.” By day, it appears as a vast depression in an otherwise barren landscape. After sunset, hundreds of flames illuminate the crater, turning it into one of Central Asia's most recognisable landmarks.However, the fiery spectacle may not last much longer. Turkmen authorities have spent the past few years trying to reduce the flow of natural gas feeding the crater, and officials now say the blaze has weakened significantly.