Must See Azerbaijan - Ateşgah Fire Temple

You are unlikely to see anything else like this majestic temple outside of India. The temple is built on the site of a natural gas vent believed to have been sacred to the Zoroastrians since the 6th century AD. To get a sense of how the worshippers lived you can visit the inside museum and discover the ritual required to have your wishes granted.

The Atashgah Temple, also known as the Temple of the Fireworshippers, has been a centre of worship for thousands of years. The area is so saturated with natural gas and oil that flames spontaneously erupt from the ground - hence the country's other name, Odlar Yourdu, or 'Land of Fires', and the name of the temple, which means 'home of fire'. Much of the existing structure has been built since the 17th century, when pilgrims began paying local officials for permission to construct places to pray and sleep.

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• religious/spiritual