It has become a popular tourist spot in Turkmenistan. The crater, known informally to people and tourists as the "Door to Hell," has officially been dubbed the "Shining of Karakum" since 2018.

The closest thing to hell on Earth lies in Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert. There, a fire pit known as the Darvaza Crater earned the name “Gates of Hell”—or “Door to Hell”—because it ...