As of today, in season now, through ~December 31. Earth Exhibit tracks the live conditions and flags it the moment it is on.
On the Absheron Peninsula just north of Baku, a low hillside burns and has, by long account, burned continuously for thousands of years.
This is Yanar Dag, the 'Burning Mountain', where natural gas seeps up through a thin, porous layer of sandstone and ignites on contact with the air, throwing up a curtain of flame as much as three metres high along the base of the slope.
The fire never goes out; it is fed by the gas-rich geology that gives Azerbaijan its old name, the Land of Fire.
Travellers from Marco Polo onward recorded these eternal flames, and they sit at the heart of the region's ancient fire-worshipping Zoroastrian traditions.
By day the flames flicker pale against the dry hill, but after dark they come alive, a wall of orange light dancing over bare ground with the heat washing over onlookers.
Unlike most natural wonders, this one is easy to reach, just a short drive from the capital, yet the sight of rock that simply will not stop burning remains genuinely strange.
Where to see it
A taste of where to see it. The full map, exact coordinates and the best timing for each spot live in the app.
| Viewing spots |
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| Yanar Dag State Reserve |
This is the short version
This page shows a taste. The app has the full list of where to see this, the exact timing, and live conditions for 1,000+ natural phenomena worldwide, so you know the moment one is genuinely worth the trip.