Gate to Hell in Turkey: ‘We could see the cave’s lethal properties’

The Gate to Hell in Turkey which was found by Italian archaeologists is also called Pluto’s Gate and “any animal that passes inside meets instant death.” After passing a fenced entrance and entering the one-person cave, a staircase led down a corridor into a space filled with toxic gases that meant instant death for man and animal. According to an April 1, 2013, KSL report, “Italian archaeologists have discovered what ancient Greeks and Romans believed to be a portal to the underworld, located in an ancient Phrygian city in modern-day Turkey.”

The discovery of the Gate to Hell in Turkey by archaeologists led by Francesco D’Andria from the southern Italian University of Salento, was made public just recently at a conference in Istanbul. Archaeologists found the Gate to Hell while doing archeological work on ruins in the ancient Phrygian city of Hierapolis.

According to Greek and Roman mythology and ancient writings, the Gate to Hell or Pluto’s Gate, was used to for ceremonial sacrifices, for experiments, to prove superior powers, and for entertainment such as sending animals to hell and back.

Ceremonial sacrifices included sending animals like bulls into the cave knowing that they would never be seen again and become a gift to Pluto, the god of the underworld. Experimental activities included throwing in birds which “immediately breathed their last and fell.”

Priest proved their superior powers by entering the Gate to Hell and returning unharmed. As with many “magic tricks,” knowledge of science is the key. Knowing that the toxic gas in the cave would not be evenly spread but settle in certain places (carbon dioxide is heavier than air), priests were able to enter the Gate to Hell, hold their breath, and find pockets of air that were safe to breath. Returning from the Gate to Hell unharmed was a sign of divine protection and gave the priests superior powers.

Just as it would be the case today, the Gate to Hell was also a place for quite an unusual entertainment.

In her article, Rossella Lorenzi describes the experimental, sacrificial, and entertaining aspects of the Gate to Hell or Pluto’s Gate.

“According to the archaeologist, there was a sort of touristic organization at the site. Small birds were given to pilgrims to test the deadly effects of the cave, while hallucinated priests sacrificed bulls to Pluto. The ceremony included leading the animals into the cave, and dragging them out dead.”

Since the Gate to Hell was used for several purposes according to the ancient writings, archeologists were also able to find a temple, pool, and steps that surrounded the Gate to Hell. As with any stage performance, visitors were allowed in certain areas while priests were in charge of the main stage or, in this case, the Gate to Hell.

Because the area was considered to be of pagan origin, archeologists assume that it was destroyed by either Christians or an earthquake making the Gate to Hell mainly an existence in historical writings; until now.

And does the Gate to Hell still work today?

According to Rossella Lorenzi’s article, lead archaeologist Francesco D’Andria said that, “We could see the cave’s lethal properties during the excavation. Several birds died as they tried to get close to the warm opening, instantly killed by the carbon dioxide fumes.”

via Gate to Hell in Turkey: ‘We could see the cave’s lethal properties’ – San Diego Top News | Examiner.com.