Portal to the underworld
It is a reality that on our planet there are countless places that defy all logic and rationality. If we have to talk about mysterious places, the first thing we think of is the Kola Peninsula in Siberia. In May 1970, Russian geologists working somewhere in the Siberian tundra began digging a hole in order to reach the Earth’s mantle. They had already drilled about 9 miles deep into the Earth’s crust when the drill bit suddenly began to spin violently. Dr. Azzacov, in charge of the project, was able to verify that at the bottom of the hole there was a cavern or a large void and that the temperature recorded inside was close to 1,100 degrees Celsius.

Intrigued by the unexpected find, the scientists lowered a heat-resistant microphone into the well along with other sensory devices, and to their amazement they heard the sounds of thousands, perhaps millions of suffering souls screaming and wailing inside. The scientists, including Azzacov, shocked by the eerie sounds, did not want to continue with the project and ran out of the place, which was considered an entrance to hell itself. There are many who have tried to discredit this story by assuring that, although the well exists and the temperatures are correct, the scientists did not hear the cries of the condemned. Whatever the controversy, there are many more holes puzzling the scientific community, such as the Barhout Well in Yemen.

Yemen’s Hell Pit

Barhout’s Hole, also known as the “Pit of Hell” in eastern Yemen, is a natural wonder surrounded by mystery, tales of demons and evil spirits. Located in the middle of the desert in the Yemeni province of Al Mahra, this huge hole is 30 meters wide and is believed to be 100 to 250 meters deep. According to local folklore, it was created as a prison for demons, a fame attributed to the nauseating and toxic odors that arise from within.

It does not burn like the well of Darvaza, nicknamed “Hell’s Gate,” in the desert of northern Turkmenistan. The crater, which is 69 meters wide and 30 meters deep, is located in a natural gas field in the Ahal province of Turkmenistan, a country in Central Asia that has the fourth largest reserve of natural gas resources in the world. . The origin of the crater is not known with certainty, but the most widely accepted theory involves an expedition of Soviet geologists to explore for gas. A local geologist claims that the well was set on fire in 1971 for fear that it would emit poisonous gases. Now it has been burning for more than half a century. But Barhout’s well is completely different.

Chris Fogwill, a professor of glaciology and paleoclimatology at Keele University, suggested in an interview with the Daily Mail Online that it is most likely a sinkhole caused by erosion of limestone or by the movement of geological salts or brines. Sinkholes can be caused by various activities, including drilling, mining, or construction.

“The erosion around the rim suggests it is not new,” Fogwill said.

Yemeni geologists say they really do not know what is inside. The well is considered one of the most hated places in the country, if not the most, and contains the “worst water on the planet”.

“It is very deep, we have never reached the bottom of this well, since there is little oxygen and no ventilation,” said Salah Babhair, director general of the local authority in charge of the geological and mineral resources study. “We have gone to visit the area and we entered the well, reaching depths of more than 50 to 60 meters. We notice strange things inside. We also smelled something strange. It is a very mysterious situation ”.

Not much can be seen from the edge of the hole, except for the birds that fly in and out of its depths despite the foul odor it emanates. Cameras looking for close-ups of the inside of the well say they can’t capture anything relevant or interesting. The sunlight does not extend much inward and those who live near the hole believe that anything that comes close to the “Pit of Hell” can be sucked into it.

Home of geniuses or supervolcano

Some have suggested that the well is a supervolcano that will eventually erupt, but there is no scientific evidence. Babhair said the well was “millions and millions” of years old.

“These places require more study and research,” Babhair explained.

Throughout the centuries, all kinds of stories have circulated of evil and supernatural figures known as geniuses or djinns who inhabit the interior of the well. Many local residents remain uneasy about the presence of this huge hole, and do not even like to talk about it, much less visit it, for fear of bad luck.

The truth is that lately Yemenis have been quite unlucky. The country has suffered a civil war since 2014 between the government and the Houthi rebels. The United Nations says Yemen is suffering the world’s worst humanitarian crisis with tens of thousands dead, millions displaced and two-thirds of its nearly 30 million people dependent on some form of aid. We cannot know if it is related or not, but what is certain is that the well is a mystery in itself.