These 5 real life gateways to hell are some of the most feared ones on earth. Some people believe that the gateway to hell can really be found in these places!
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-- Entrances to Hell that you can Visit
You might have heard legends or myths about people descending into the Underworld through special gateways or portals. While most of them are just stories, some of them are actually based on real life locations. Join us as we look at 5 entrances to Hell that you can visit.
5. Hellam Township, USA
Hellam Township is one of the oldest towns in the state of Pennsylvania. Established in 1736, there are a couple of old and disturbing urban legends surrounding the place that hold even to this day, both stating that the 7 Gates of Hell reside in that area.
The first version of the legend goes that there was a mental institution on Trout Run Road in Hellam Township tucked away from prying eyes. In the 19th Century the asylum caught fire, and because it was tucked away, it was not reached in time by the fire service. Most of those residing in the institution were said to have burned to death and those who escaped into the woods were beaten to death by the guards.
4. Mount Osore, Japan
More than 800 meters high, Mount Osore, which translates as Mount Fear in Japanese, definitely lives up to its name. This volcano that last erupted well over 200 years ago is widely believed to be the location of an entrance to hell.
The popular myth is that a stream on the mountain that runs into Lake Osore nearby is a parallel of the Sanzu River, or the River of Three Crossings that the souls of the dead must cross to journey onwards to the afterlife. As a result of this, it is considered the place where the living world and the world of the Dead join.
3. Lake Avernus, Italy
Avernus is a volcanic crater near Cumae in southern Italy. The ancient Romans used to believe the 2 mile wide crater to be the entrance to the underworld. Within it is Lake Avernus, properly cited as the "door to hell" by the Roman poet Virgil. In Virgil's epic poem Aeneid, the Trojan hero Aeneas descends into the underworld through a cave near the lake, where he would then meet his deceased lover and father.
2. Fengdu Ghost City, China
Located on Ming Mountain in China, this eerie collection of buildings and structures were separated from the actual city of Fengdu and left behind as a ghost city. This is after Fengdu villagers had to relocate to higher ground due to rising water levels after the construction of a dam. However, the ghost city has gained new life in recent years due to becoming a tourist attraction for those interested in the underworld imagery it presents. Fengdu has been surrounded by hellish imagery and legends for hundreds of years, and is still believed by many to be a gateway to hell on Earth.
1. Door to Hell, Turkmenistan
At the center of Central Asia's Karakum Desert lies a vast molten cavity roughly the size of a standard football field. In it, ravaging flames have been burning non-stop for over 40 years, and will continue to do so for God knows how long.
The story behind the fiery crater known as the "Door to Hell", is that in the early 70s, Soviet petrochemical scientists and engineers were drilling the Turkmenistan region in search of oil. Soon, they found a natural gas pocket near the village of Derweze. However, the ground beneath it suddenly collapsed, burying the whole drilling rig and camp into a massive 70 meter wide crater.
Fearing the release of poisonous methane gas into the nearby population, they decided the best option was to just set the whole thing on fire, thinking that it will burn out in a few days or weeks. They could not have been more wrong. 4 decades later, the fire still shows no sign of stopping any time soon.
The 21 meter deep hole is now a popular tourist attraction, with visitors coming from all over the world wanting to get a glimpse of hell. The entire area is not fenced off, and visitors can - at their own risk - stand at the very edge of the crater. In 2014, Canadian explorer George Kouronis undertook an expedition into the pit to establish whether life forms can exist in such harsh environment. With a heat-reflective suit and climbing harness made of Kevlar, he is the first known human to descend into Turkmenistan's Door to Hell.
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