Several larger and smaller fires fueled by underground methane gases create an eternal flame through cavities in the rocks on the edges of this mountain.
About 80km from Antalya, near the ruined ancient city of Olympus in southwestern Turkey, lies a rocky mountain that has been burning in flames for thousands of years.
Fires, known in Turkish as Yanartaş, have been burning for the last 2500 years on the largest known abiogenic methane emissions in the world.
In ancient times, sailors from the open sea they used the mountains of fire as navigation for their voyages, and today they are a real attraction for mountaineers who make tea on them. Although rocky, the mountain is gentle and the ascent is easy to master, so night hiking under the light of natural fires is one of the most beautiful experiences that this region offers.
The mountain of fire gave birth to the myth of Chimera, a mythical beast with the body and head of a lion, a goat's head on its back and a tail that ends with the head of a snake or dragon. According to the legend, this frightening beast spits fire from at least one of its three heads. It is believed that the indication of the Chimera to the people was a hint of a terrible shipwreck or volcanic eruption.
The fires are grouped in an area of about 5000m2. Although worse throughout the year, they are most intense during the winter months, which is explained by changes in atmospheric pressure and rising groundwater levels that push a mixture of flammable gases, methane and hydrogen, to the surface.
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