Yanar Dag (Burning Mountain)

Yanar Dag, meaning 'burning mountain' in Azerbaijani, is a natural gas fire on a hillside in the Mehdiabad settlement of the Absheron Peninsula, about 25 kilometres north of Baku, Azerbaijan. Natural gas seeps through porous sandstone along a stretch of the slope, and the flame, which burns on a low rock face roughly 10 metres wide, has been alight continuously since it was ignited, reportedly in the 1950s, perhaps by a shepherd or a passing person. Earlier travellers' accounts, including Marco Polo's remarks about burning springs in the region and later descriptions by 19th-century visitors, record other gas fires on the peninsula, and many of them have since died out as gas extraction lowered the pressure underground. This history helps explain Azerbaijan's old nickname, the Land of Fire, and the role of fire in earlier Zoroastrian and Hindu traditions in the area. A state historical-cultural reserve was established around Yanar Dag in 2007, and the site has been improved with a visitor building, a museum-style exhibit and a cafe, along with a viewing area facing the flames. The flames stay lit even in rain and wind, and are most striking after dark, when the glow stands out against the hillside. There is little to see in the sense of ruins or artefacts, so the visit is short and centred on the spectacle. The surrounding environment is semi-arid, exposed and windy, and the rocks near the fire are hot, so visitors are kept behind a barrier. Information panels explain the geology and the history of fire worship in the region. The place is most often visited on a half-day Absheron tour combining the Ateshgah Fire Temple, mud volcanoes or coastal villages. Evening lighting, benches and tea sales make the stop pleasant on cool nights, while summer days can be hot and the flame less visible.