ANatureIndependent states
Yanar Dag
A hillside on the Absheron Peninsula where natural gas from underground burns without end — the living image of the "Land of Fire".
Yanar Dag lies near Baku, by the village of Mammadli. At the foot of a hill, natural gas seeping from underground burns continuously along a line about ten metres long — in rain and snow alike.
Natural fires like this have been known on Absheron since ancient times and are one reason Azerbaijan is called the "Land of Fire". Travellers wrote about them for centuries.
In 2007 the site was declared the Yanar Dag State Historical, Cultural and Nature Reserve. It has a visitor centre and museum, and the flames are most striking after dark.
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Updated: October 1, 2026