Yanartaş, one of Antalya’s magnificent natural riches, is an impressive natural gas source located near the Çıralı village of Kemer district. This natural wonder, which smells of history and has a fascinating importance for tourists, is located in a location surrounded by a magnificent sea view. Thanks to its unique feature that has been going on for centuries, it continues to attract the attention of domestic and foreign tourists.
Olympos Yanartaş has also inspired mythological stories. This natural fire, which has been going on for exactly 2500 years, has been the subject of legends told in ancient Greek mythology.
Located in the southwest of Antalya, at the southern end of the borders of Kemer district, Yanartaş is located 3 km west of the coast and is located at an altitude of 180 meters above sea level. Its distance to Antalya city center is 55 kilometers. It is also located in the northwest of Çıralı Bay, within the borders of Olympos Bey Mountains National Park.
In Yanartaş, where natural gas leaks out through the cracks and comes out through the stones, the composition of the gas is mostly methane (82.96%), ethane (14.5%), nitrogen (1.5%) and carbon dioxide (1%). This natural gas is dry and odorless. The gas seeping through the stones creates an impressive flame when it comes into contact with the air, creating an extraordinary sight that attracts visitors.
Yanartaş is a special place that offers unforgettable memories to its visitors with its natural beauties and mythological richness. As one of the unique stops to be discovered in Antalya for nature and history lovers, it promises its visitors a magical experience.
Formation of Yanartaş’s Natural Fire
The Everlasting Fire of Olympos contains some interesting information about the origin of gas and the formation of natural fire. In the past, it was thought that the gas came from an old swamp due to the weight of methane, but this view was not widely accepted due to insufficient evidence. The more widely accepted theory is that the gas is of petroleum origin; however, it is thought that it may not have come from the oil field.
Due to the fact that the tectonic movements in the region are strong, the reserve that sends the gas is not economically large enough. Therefore, it is not possible to extract the gas in an operable manner. This situation has caused gas to remain a natural beauty offered to visitors for touristic purposes.
Drilling attempts at Yanartaş to keep the flames coming out of their original point of origin caused the flames to subside and begin to rise from the nearby chrome mine. For this reason, the drilling project was abandoned and the flames continued to come out.
Over time, the points where the flames came out varied. It was determined that flames broke out from 2 points in 1935, 4 points in 1945, and 3 points in 1982. In 1986, it was observed that flames rose from many more points. The reason for these changes is that the alluvium brought by the flood waters prevents the gas outflow.
According to the calculations made according to the gas output velocity, gas output was around 2,000 cubic meters/hour in 1935. However, since the exact amount of gas in the depths is not known, it cannot be predicted exactly how long the gas will last. Olympos Yanartaş still continues to fascinate and attract visitors with its natural beauties and obscurity.
The Legend of Yanartaş, Inspiring the Olympic Torch
According to this fascinating legend of ancient Greek mythology, the natural gas source located on the rocks to the north of Çıralı beach has been the subject of legends throughout history. The legend begins with Hipponoes, son of King Glaukos of Ephyra, killing his own brother Belleros at a hunting party, and then taking the name Bellerophontes, which means “Eater of Belleros”.
Bellerophontes is exiled from Ephyra and seeks refuge with the king of Argos. However, the king of Argos, who does not want to kill him, sends Bellerophontes to the king of Lycia. The Lycian King also does not want to kill the young man and sends him to fight Chimera, a terrible creature living on Mount Olympus. The Chimera is a flaming monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a snake.
Bellerophontes rides his winged horse Pegassos, which is his assistant, and goes to fight Chimera. At the moment of the attack, while Pegassos takes off, Bellerophontes buries the monster seven floors below the ground with his spear. However, the flames of the Chimera still continue to burn, and flames continue to rise from under the ground. According to this mythological narrative, the traces of this event continue as an unquenchable fire as a source of natural gas that is still burning today.
To celebrate the victory of Bellerophontes, a race is held in Olympos and the athletes run to the city of Olympos by lighting their torches with the Chimera Sacred Fire. This would be the first example in Anatolia, which developed in later times and turned into the current Olympic Games. The current “Olympic Torch” refers to this legend, a symbolic expression of the Chimera’s unquenchable fire and symbolizes the athletes’ pursuit of determination and victory.
