page_title: Tourism in Turkmenistan
section_title: Wildlife areas in the desert and other attractions
hierarchical_section_title: Tourism in Turkmenistan / Wildlife areas in the desert and other attractions
caption_attribution_description: English: The Door to Hell, a burning natural gas field in Derweze, Turkmenistan. This image is made from three 17mm shots stitched together and the field of view (~170°) is larger than it may appear (the field has roughly the size of two basketball courts).
context_page_description: Turkmenistan is a country with large potential for an expanded tourism industry. Many of its Central Asian cities were main points of trade on the Silk Road, linking Eastern and Western civilizations. Many neighboring countries promote their countries based on their location along the Great Silk Road. Tourism has grown rapidly in recent years. Tourists from abroad are deterred by the restrictive visa regime with all countries of the world. Tourism is regulated by the Tourism Committee of Turkmenistan.
context_section_description: Desert fauna of Karakum includes many kinds of rare animals. There is a Karakum nature reserve at the flood-land drained by the Amu Darya.
  Near Derweze village in the middle of the Karakum Desert is a natural gas deposit. While drilling in 1971, Soviet geologists tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas. The ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, creating the Darvaza gas crater, a large hole with a diameter of 70 metres (230 ft) at 40°15′10″N 58°26′22″E. To avoid poisonous gas discharge, it was decided the best solution was to burn it off. Geologists had hoped the fire would use all the fuel in a matter of days, but the gas is still burning today.  Locals have dubbed the cavern the "Door to Hell".
caption: Panorama of the site of the Darvaza gas crater, 2011.
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