Yanar Dagh
Yanar Dagh is a natural gas flame that burns on a hillside on Azerbaijan’s Absheron Peninsula, near the capital city of Baku. The flames rise up to about 3 meters from a thin layer of sandstone, and they keep burning because natural gas seeps up from beneath the surface. There is no mud or liquid involved, unlike nearby mud volcanoes.
The site is in the Absheron District and is part of the Yanardagh State Historical, Cultural, and Natural Reserve, established in 2007 and run by Azerbaijan’s State Tourism Agency. After renovations from 2017 to 2019, the reserve opened the Yanar Dagh Museum and the Cromlech Stone Exhibition.
Historically, the fire has been connected with religious beliefs dating back to ancient Zoroastrianism, and it was noted by travellers such as Marco Polo. The nearby Fire Temple of Ateshgah also features flames, but those flames are now kept alight by a gas supply, while Yanar Dagh continues to burn naturally.
The flame was reportedly discovered in the 1950s when a shepherd accidentally lit it. The fire comes from vents in sandstone along a fault line at the base of a hillside, where it can be seen burning above a 10-meter-wide scar.
The reserve covers about 64.6 hectares and includes amenities such as a 500-seat outdoor amphitheater and a museum area with ancient stones, tombs, and burial grounds.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:52 (CET).