Yanar Dagh (Burning Mountain)

This is one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. The mountain is on fire. There is so much natural gas under this region that in some places it just escapes. I was told that a foreign archaologist in the 1950’s lit a cigarette here (bummer for him) and that it has been burning ever since. I don’t know how accurate that story is, but it’s certainly burning now. It’s in the middle of nowhere, there’s nothing else near it except a cafe that tries to get business from the people who happen to come see Yanar Dagh. It certainly is a unique natural phenomenon. It’s not worth a trip to Azerbaijan, but if you’re already in the area, check it out. I thought it was pretty amazing.