Getting visas to enter Turkmenistan can prove tricky – MailOnline Travel was recently denied entry.
But for those forbidden access to the mysterious former Soviet country, a stunning new video offers an insight into what the place has to offer.
Intrepid explorer and photographer Jay Tindall recently went on a trip through the landlocked state and he hit some unusual spots, including the ‘sinister’ capital of Ashsbat and the burning 226ft-wide Gates of Hell crater.
Intrepid explorer and photographer Jay Tindall recently went on a trip through the landlocked state and he hit some unusual spots, including the ‘sinister’ capital of Ashsbat and the burning 226ft-wide Gates of Hell crater (above)
Footage from his trip reveals how the nation offers a mesmerising mix of scenery.
Video of the capital, Ashgabat, shows it looking eerily empty. The gleaming stone plazas are decked out with giant soviet-style statues, a reminder of times gone by.
And there are dozens of gargantuan buildings, with opulent gold-leafed domes striking a contrast to the grey skies. Meanwhile, fountains triumphantly froth away in manicured gardens.
Tindall likened the empty metropolis to a ‘strange mix’ between Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, and Las Vegas.
He then drove north to explore the rugged landscape. After stopping to admire a mix of rural villages and red rock canyons, he ended up at the Gates of Hell in Derweze.
The giant hole of fire, in the heart of the Karakum desert, was made by geologists more than 40 years ago, and the flames within have been burning ever since.
Video of the capital, Ashgabat, shows it looking eerily empty. The gleaming stone plazas are decked out with giant soviet-style statues, a reminder of bygone times
There are dozens of monstrous buildings, with opulent gold-leafed domes striking a contrast to the grey skies. Meanwhile, fountains triumphantly froth away in manicured gardens
Soviet geologists were drilling at the site in 1971 and tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas.
But the ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a hole with a diameter of 70 metres.
Fearing that the hole would lead to the release of poisonous gases, the team decided to burn it off.
It was hoped that the fire would use all the fuel within days, but the gas is still burning today. The flames generate a golden glow which can be seen for miles around Derweze, a village with a population of about 350.
The site is about 161 miles north of Ashgabat.
In April 2010 the country’s president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, visited the site and ordered that the hole should be closed but this is yet to happen.
Changing times: Turkmenistan became independent on October 27, 1991, amidst the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Tindall explored rural villages and red rock canyons and eventually ended up at the Gates of Hell in Derweze
Sense of wonder: Tindall said he was blown away by the natural beauty of Turkmenistan once he left the bizarre capital city
Summing up his trip to Turkmenistan, Tindall, who runs travel company Remote Lands, said: ‘Turkmenistan is one of the most isolated places in central Asia – known for draconian dictators and the driest desert in the world. The capital is so empty it seems almost sinister.
‘Monuments and buildings rise high in the skyline, brutalist and imposing. Sharp, strong edges dominate the plane above.
‘But here, too, are people who live and suffer just like anyone else. They walk lonely in the desolate streets, laughing in the shadow of mountains.
‘Outside the city, the world is different; the desert is unforgiving. The wastes seem to go on forever – thirsty sand and empty skies. Only an arresting, daunting place like this could be home to the Gates of Hell.’
The Gates of Hell crater in Derweze was made by geologists more than 40 years ago, and the flames within have been burning ever since
Soviet geologists were drilling at the site in 1971 and tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas. Fearing that the hole would lead to the release of poisonous gases, the team decided to burn it off. It was hoped that the fire would use all the fuel within days, but the gas is still burning today
The flames generate a golden glow which can be seen for miles around Derweze, a village with a population of about 350
Summing up his trip to Turkmenistan, Tindall said: ‘Turkmenistan is one of the most isolated places in Central Asia. Outside the city, the world is different; the desert is unforgiving. The wastes seem to go on forever – thirsty sand and empty skies’