Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Slovenia mushroom foraging
Slovenia • 6 days, 5 nights
Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The front of the museum in present day.
The Railway Museum (Spoorwegmuseum)
Detail of the church’s right aisle
The Mosaic of Andreina
The older engine.
Dalat Railway Station
The exterior of STRAAT.
STRAAT
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
People paddling in their wooden canoes on one of the lakes near the Allagash Waterway in the north woods in Maine
The Allagash Abductions: This State Park’s Most Famous Visitors ... Are Aliens?
about 3 hours ago
The rocky Revere Beach coast in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
1 day ago
A dugong displays the telltale “smile.”
Saving the Sea Cows of Vanuatu
1 day ago
The first photo of the “woolly devil” made a stir among botanists when Deb Manley uploaded it to iNaturalist in March 2024.
How the Woolly Devil, Member of a New Plant Genus, Was Discovered on a Hike in Big Bend
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Azerbaijan Baku Fire Temple of Baku

Fire Temple of Baku

A shrine of fire worship built on top of a natural flame.

Baku, Azerbaijan

Added By
Tawsam
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Ateshgah of Baku   Urek Meniashvili/Wikimedia
Ateshgah of Baku   Urek Meniashvili/Wikimedia
Illustration of the temple in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (1890—1907)   Wikimedia
Artifacts at the temple   Martin Lopatka/Flickr
The central flame   Martin Lopatka/Flickr
The main altar   Rita Willaert/Flickr
Temple entrance   Rita Willaert/Flickr
The main fire pit   the brown Scotsman / Atlas Obscura User
The main fire pit   the brown Scotsman / Atlas Obscura User
one of the surrounding buildings   the brown Scotsman / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Situated on the Abşeron Peninsula, the Fire Temple (Ateşgah) of Baku was a place of sacrifice founded above a natural gas vent.

Fire rituals at the peninsula's numerous natural gas vents date back to at least the 10th century, although the current temple structure was built during the 17th and 18th centuries. The structure is similar to the caravanserais (travellers' inns) of the region with pentagonal walls surrounding a courtyard. However, in the middle of this courtyard sits an altar, the centerpiece of the temple complex where fire rituals were observed.

The altar is situated above a natural gas vent, igniting a large flame in the middle and four smaller flames on the rooftop corners of the pavilion. Surrounding the temple altar are a number of small cells which held the ascetic worshippers and pilgrims.

Debate continues as to whether this temple was founded as a Zoroastrian or a Hindu place of worship, since the structure incorporates architectural elements from both faiths, without wholly adhering to either. The most established theory places the temple in the Zoroastrian tradition, but that it has evolved into a predominantly Hindu place of worship over time. In the late 19th century, the place was abandoned, most likely as a result of the dwindling Indian population in Azerbaijan.

Heavy exploitation of the natural gas reserves on the peninsula resulted in the exhaustion of the flame in 1969. The flames seen today are fed by Baku's main gas supply. In 1975, the complex was turned into a museum, and in 1998, it was nominated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Related Tags

Temples Fires Fiery Wonders Rites And Rituals Sacred Spaces Hinduism
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Tawsam

Edited By

Swolax, Allison, atimian, the brown Scotsman

  • Swolax
  • Allison
  • atimian
  • the brown Scotsman

Published

October 11, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Temple_of_Baku
  • Lonely Planet Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan; 3rd Edition; May 2008
Fire Temple of Baku
Suraxanı
Bakixanov
Baku
Azerbaijan
40.427313, 50.040169
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

'Monument to Lovers and Cats'

Baku, Azerbaijan

miles away

Heydar Aliyev Center

Baku, Azerbaijan

miles away

Yanar Dağ (Fire Mountain)

Baku, Azerbaijan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Baku

Baku

Azerbaijan

Places 8
Stories 1

Nearby Places

'Monument to Lovers and Cats'

Baku, Azerbaijan

miles away

Heydar Aliyev Center

Baku, Azerbaijan

miles away

Yanar Dağ (Fire Mountain)

Baku, Azerbaijan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Baku

Baku

Azerbaijan

Places 8
Stories 1

Related Stories and Lists

10 Places That Are Always on Fire

List

By Samir S. Patel

Related Places

  • Janaki Mandir

    Janakpur, Nepal

    Janaki Mandir

    An enormous white temple that honors the birthplace of a Hindu goddess.

  • Pune, India

    Parvati Nandan Ganpati Temple

    This 17th-century temple gave the area of Ganeshkhind its name.

  • Mahakal Mandir

    Darjeeling, India

    Mahakal Mandir

    At this unique temple in Darjeeling, Hindu and Buddhist practices co-exist harmoniously.

  • Changu Narayan after earthquake in 2015.

    Changunarayan, Nepal

    Changu Narayan

    Dating back to the fourth century, it's the oldest Hindu temple still in use in the Kathmandu Valley.

  • The temple.

    Nachikatsuura-chō, Japan

    Fudarakusan-ji

    A temple made famous by Japanese Buddhist monks who sacrificed themselves at sea.

  • Kumari Ghar

    Kathmandu, Nepal

    Kumari Ghar

    A brick building in Kathmandu's Durbar Square is home to Nepal's most prominent living goddess.

  • BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir exterior.

    Toronto, Ontario

    BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto

    This Hindu temple is an architectural marvel designed and built according to ancient Indian principles.

  • The fantastic “gateway to heaven.”

    Abang, Indonesia

    Pura Lempuyang Luhur

    Bali's remote "gateway to heaven" is one of the most sacred places on the island.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.