Yanar Dag
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Yanar Dag (Azerbaijani: Yanar Dağ). translated as "Fire Mountain", is an ancient and visually-stunning fire which blazes continuously on a hillside on the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea. Yanar Dag is a 10-meter (30 feet) wide wall of fire located on a hillside near Baku, the capital of oil-rich Azerbaijan. Only a handful of fire mountains exist today in the world and most are located in Azerbaijan. Due to the large concentration of natural gas under the Abşeron Peninsula, natural flames have burned there throughout antiquity and been reported by historical writers such as Marco Polo. The naturally-occurring fire burns most impressively at dusk, when both tourists and locals sit at a nearby teashop in an attempt to derive inspiration from the spectacular sight. Azerbaijan's frequent link with fire in its folklore and icons is credited with a connection to the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism, which first appeared in the region nearly 2,000 years ago.
Yanar dag continues to inspire many; in recent years a Finnish opera [1] and a French Canadian stage play[2], have been named after the fiery mountain.
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