A natural treasure lies beneath Azerbaijan – gas. In some places, especially in the Absheron Peninsula, the gas finds a way to escape from the underground pockets by itself. Once it reaches the surface, it sometimes catches fire, turning into undying flames, which has given the country the reputation of the Land of Fire.
1. The undying flame
Just a short drive away from Baku, you will find Yanardag – the burning mountainside, Azerbaijan’s undying flame. Nobody knows exactly how long the ridge at Yanardag has been burning for, some believe forever, but the earliest concrete mention is around the 1st century CE.
Gas resurfaces naturally here from under the ground and while the circumstances under which it caught fire are a mystery, it was probably a chemical reaction between the sulphur and methane and the air.
Over time, there have been multiple attempts at putting the fire out, all of them unsuccessful. Increased efforts were made during World War II, when other similar natural flames in the Absheron Peninsula were extinguished to avoid being easy targets for aerial attacks, but Yanardag was just too stubborn to die out. Not even nature’s efforts can drown this flame, it keeps burning despite rain or snow.
Between 2017 and 2019 Yanardag was renovated. During this time, amphitheatre like seating was added on the opposing side of the burning mountainside, making it possible for concerts and music festivals to be organised here. Could you imagine a cool summer night and your favourite band playing in front of an eternal flame?
The mystery of the flame has brought many Zoroastrians, as well as Hindus, to Yanardag over the centuries, the flame being seen as a divine symbol from the Creator.
2. Home of Fire
The Ateshgah Temple, also called the Fire Temple of Baku, is a historical place of worship for Zoroastrians of north-western India. Its name, coming from Persian (Atashgah), literally means home of fire.
The pentagon shaped complex features a central temple where, similar to Yanardag, a natural flame used to burn, along with six others, one in the courtyard and five in the adjacent cell dwellings. Due to extensive exploitation in the area, the pressure of the natural gas subsided so much the flames went out in 1969. Now, they are supplied by a gas pipe and kept alight for visitors to envision what the place of worship was like.
There are 24 cells surrounding the courtyard, the one with four arches believed to be the first main altar, which was later moved to the centre of the courtyard. Although the current structures were built during the 17th and 18th centuries, archaeological excavations have revealed remains of a temple dating back to the 2nd century CE. The sanctuary was a stopover on the silk road, but only believers were to enter, while non-believers were not allowed in the inner courtyard or chambers, having separate dwellings.
The cells now house displays of the customs of the people who lived here. To show their devotion, the local branch of Zoroastrian believers practiced different types of self-torture, believing this cleansed them and brought them closer to their God. Among others, they would tie heavy chains around their necks, hands and feet, lie down on hot ash and stay in certain positions for hours on end until their limbs got numb, while a priest prayed nearby.
© Dana Stefan 
© Dana Stefan
3. Zoroastrianism heritage
The religious landscape of Azerbaijan has changed radically over the millennia since Zoroastrians first arrived in the region around the 1st century BC, but some traditions have rooted so deeply, they are impossible to erase. The fire is a means of communicating with the deity, a link between humans and the spiritual world. It is cleansing and purifying.
This ancient religion’s heritage can be observed today during Nowruz. The traditional new year in Azerbaijan, and other countries in Central Asia, is not on 1 January, but at the time of the spring equinox, the coming of spring and rebirth of nature being far better suited to mark a new beginning. At the start of the celebrations people gather around an open fire to jump over it as a purification process. It is believed that the fire burns the bad energy accumulated over the past year and you can begin the new year with a clean slate.
Zoroastrianism is not still practiced in Azerbaijan, but its heritage is still highly respected. Nowruz is the most important holiday in the country, with the tradition of jumping over fire surviving over centuries of other religions being brought to the region. “Christians couldn’t eradicate this tradition, Islam couldn’t, not even the Soviets could”, the guide pensively told me.
