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Video: "Gates of Hell" in Turkey: Scientists have managed to unravel the secret of one of the portals to the other world
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
In 1913, a sensation swept the world: Italian archaeologists discovered one of the ancient portals "The Gates of Hell" in Turkey. Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, these gates were considered the entrance to the other world, various rituals with sacrifices to the god-ruler of the kingdom of the dead Pluto were performed here. The gate was located next to a cave, from which poisonous fumes from underground sources emanated, capable of killing any living creature. But it remained a mystery why during the rituals only the animals brought by the priests to the cave perished, while the priests themselves remained unharmed. Finally, this riddle was solved …
Pluto's Gate has been known since ancient times. In the myths of Ancient Greece and Rome, a cave in the city of Hierapolis is described, entering which one can enter the underworld. Around this gate, rituals were held in honor of the god Pluto. Only priests were allowed to approach the cave. Animals, having passed along a narrow passage, entered the arena and here they fell dead.
Crowds of pilgrims wishing to see the amazing rite of sacrifice, in which animals died on their own, without human intervention, flocked to this cave. In the 14th century, a strong earthquake occurred in these places, and the city of Hierapolis, along with its main attraction, was destroyed.
An amazing find of archaeologists
And in March 2013, the cave, known from the descriptions of ancient authors as the Gate of Pluto, was discovered by Italian archaeologists in Turkey near the city of Pamukkale. It was in this place that the ancient city of Hierapolis was located. The excavation was supervised by Francesco d'Andria, professor of classical archeology at the University of Salento.
Here archaeologists have unearthed the remains of the temple - several half-columns, on which inscriptions have been preserved, dedicated to the gods of the world of the dead, Kore and Pluto.
As well as the remains of the pool and the stairs leading to the cave. From these steps, the pilgrims watched the sacred rites of the priests.
All of this was consistent with the existing descriptions of the ancient sacred site, and it also corresponded to the descriptions of the Greek historian Strabo, who lived from 64 BC. NS. up to 24 years NS.:"".
Italian scientists have also confirmed the lethality of the fumes in the area. "" D'Andria said. -.
These vapors, apparently, were also the source of hallucinations for those pilgrims who nevertheless bathed in the pool and stayed at night near the cave. And they took these hallucinations for a prediction of the future.
In November of the same year, a marble statue of the three-headed dog Cerberus was found here, which is always present when depicting the Kingdom of the Dead. He makes sure that no one gets out of there. And here they found another guardian of the underworld - a stone statue of a coiled snake.
These findings confirmed that the cave discovered by archaeologists in the spring of 2013 in Turkey is indeed the "gate of hell".
“”, - said the head of the expedition Francesco D'Andria.
The secret of the cave is revealed
For a long time it remained a mystery - why only animals, brought as a sacrificial offering to Pluto, the ruler of the kingdom of the dead, die from poisonous fumes, while the priests who accompany them remain alive.
As scientists from Germany and Turkey, working under the leadership of Hardy Pfanz from the University of Duisburg - Essen, have found out, the explanation of this "miracle" is quite scientific and quite simple. The city of Hierapolis was located in one of the most geologically active places and, as a result, was famous for its thermal springs. And the "Gates of Hell" were built just above the fault, it was here that carbon dioxide came to the surface.
Having identified the source of carbon dioxide, scientists measured its concentration at different levels and at different times of the day.
It was found that its concentration is much higher at night than during the day. This is due to the fact that carbon dioxide dissipates from the sun during the day and accumulates at night. It was also noted that its concentration depended on the height - the higher from the floor of the arena, the higher the gas concentration. Scientists have found that the highest concentration of the deadly gas was observed at dawn, when even at a height of 40 centimeters from the floor, it reached deadly values. And higher it decreased. Sacrifices were usually arranged at dawn, and the animals died from the excess gas accumulated during the night. And people, whose growth is higher than that of animals, remained alive at the same time. Perhaps they even got up on stones to be higher.
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