Eternal flames of Yanartaş: Antalya’s 2,500-year-old fire mystery

Orange flames rising between the rocks in pitch darkness make you feel as if you've stepped into a fairytale. No one can extinguish them! In Antalya, this fire has been burning continuously for 2,500 years—and the world is captivated by its mystery. At the heart of Antalya, a fire that has never gone out tells a story stretching back thousands of years. Known in modern science as a 'natural gas leak,' this phenomenon—Yanartaş, or the Chimaera—was long feared in ancient times as the breath of a terrifying monster. Here are the secrets behind the legendary fire that has burned for millennia. Near the village of Çıralı in Kemer, the flames rise amid rocks, shrouded in a chilling myth. According to legend, the monstrous Chimaera, with a lion's head, goat's body, and a serpent's tail, breathed fire and terrorized the local population. The Lycian King tasked the young hero Bellerophontes with slaying the beast. Mounted on the winged horse Pegasus, Bellerophontes descended from the sky and buried the monster seven layers beneath the earth with his spear. But the creature did not die. Its rage was so immense that flames erupting from the depths of the earth have burned ever since. Today, the mysterious light flickering from the rocks is said to be the monster's undying breath. COULD THIS BE THE TRUE BIRTHPLACE OF THE OLYMPIC FLAME? Few know this, but Yanartaş is said to have inspired the world-famous Olympic torch. In ancient times, athletes would light their torches from Yanartaş's eternal flames during races held to celebrate Bellerophontes' victory and run them into the city. This ritual is considered the inspiration behind the modern Olympic tradition of the eternal flame. THE SCIENTIFIC TRUTH: WHY DO THE ROCKS BURN? Of course, there is also a scientific explanation. Yanartaş is a natural gas source located approximately 180 meters above sea level. Gas seeps through cracks in the rocks, composed mainly of methane, ethane, and nitrogen. When this gas mix meets oxygen, it ignites. What is most remarkable is that the flames have continued to burn from the same spots for thousands of years. In the past, sailors used the fire as a beacon; today, it attracts nature enthusiasts and mystery seekers from around the world. VISITING YANARTAŞ: TIPS FOR TRAVELERS To experience this mystical atmosphere up close, bring a flashlight. Yanartaş' true magic emerges after sunset, when the orange flames rising from the rocks in the pitch-black night make you feel as though you are inside a storybook.

Eternal flames of Yanartaş: Antalya’s 2,500-year-old fire mystery

Orange flames rise from rocks in Antalya, burning nonstop for millennia, blending legend and natural gas science.