Located seemingly in the middle of nowhere is the very little-known Fire Mountain in the South Western area of Iran called Khuzestan. Although not as grand and mesmerising as the
Gates of Hell (Darvaza) in Turkmenistan
, Fire Mountain in Iran is quite similar to another favourite of ours, Yanar Dag, meaning Burning Mountain, just North of Baku in Azerbaijan.
The name in Farsi, the main language of Iran, is Tashkooh, which translates to Firing Mount. The flames themselves are caused by sulphur vapours emitting from the rock and lighting on fire.
Tashkooh is roughly 35km (40 minute drive) North East of the town of Ramhormoz. Ramhormoz doesn’t have much, as far as we can see there is one hotel that primarily caters to teachers and was about $10 a night for a 4 person room with ensuite and air-conditioning, which considering it’s 30 degrees overnight you’ll probably want. Lively with mainly young guys driving around at night, it’s a simple but charming town.
Food in Ramhormoz is also slim pickings, with a single but quite popular kebab shop and a hand full of places selling hamburgers and ice cream. Although locals like to use Tashkooh as a mountainside BBQ and cook their meat for kebabs on the natural fire.
Driving to the Fire Mountain is an experience in itself, driving across phenomenal moonscapes and through remote villages. The sheer baroness and otherworldliness is worth the trip. Winding corners and sweeping bends take you through some of the harshest landscapes in Iran, with heat of 40+ degrees to match.
The road itself is made but in disrepair and although this flaming hill is only about 30 metres off the road, if you’re driving during the day you’re unlikely to see it, while at night you’ll see the faint glow of the fire. The hill on fire is actually down in a mini valley, so when coming from the road you’ll have to walk down to it and also the reason it’s hidden from the road.
There are plenty of car tracks and almost what you could call a car park, but in reality is just a smoother part of the rocky ground. Although very few foreigners and even people from the rest of Iran have ever been there, locals make use of it as a little family trip or just somewhere to hang out in an area with very few options.
Walking down is pretty surreal, it’s not every day you see flames just coming out of the side of a hill. It looks like where the fire comes out changes over time as there seem to be large black burnt patches that were no longer on fire. The smell of sulphur coming out of the ground is intense and the heat when standing next to the mountain adds an extra layer of warmth in an already hot climate.
The best time to get there is definitely before sunset so you can see it in both day and night, and there are definitely some good camping options if driving back to Ramhormoz isn’t for you, with drivers and motorcyclists alike who don’t mind driving with no headlights or taillights on along pitch black, winding roads.
The area is heritage listed and the main Fire Mountain isn’t the only area where this phenomenon is occurring, apparently there are hundreds of little holes on fire all across the area, so if you really want to go exploring you might find some more.
If you’d like to come see this cool thing, we’ll be visiting Ramhormoz and the Fire Mountain on all our tours. Have a look at our
full list of tours to Iran
.