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The Chimaera (Yanartas),
the eternal flames on a rocky mountainside
above Çirali village near Olimpos,
Turkey (map), is a
fascinating natural phenomenon: about
a dozen flames issue from a mass of
rock with no apparent fuel to sustain
them.
The flames are burning a sort of methane
gas that has been venting
from the earth on this rocky slope
for thousands of years.
In ancient
times, mariners passing by along
the Mediterranean coast below used
the bright flames as a landmark on
their voyage.
Today the only travelers' assistance
provided by the flames is the ease
of brewing tea for hikers along the Lycian
Way, which passes the spot.
The flames are most dramatic
at night,
of course, and luckily the forested
park is open 24 hours a day, allowing
visitors to hike the three kilometers
uphill along a rough stone path to
the Chimera anytime.
There's a small admission
fee to the
site. A spring near the parking lot
and ticket kiosk provides drinking
water (bring your own bottle), but
there are no services—and no water—at
the flames themselves.
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