The ancient people paid great attention not only to life in the real world, but the afterlife.
The last they cared no less immediate cases. Perhaps that is why people tried to find portals that lead to the afterlife and even found places that, in their opinion, those were.
1. Alepotripa
Alepotrypa (“foxhole”) is a huge cave system in Greece, which can be a source of inspiration for a dark myth about Hades. In the cave there is even a lake, which perhaps was the prototype of the river, through which the dead passed to another world. The cave was forgotten for many centuries until it was accidentally discovered by a hunter, whose dog chased a Fox. The Fox slipped away, but the dog came across the entrance to the cave. In Alepotripa burials and rituals began to spend more 6000 years ago. In it were found the remains of 170 people, as well as pottery and other artifacts.
2. Aktun Of The Crystal Tunichil Muknal
Aktun of the Crystal tunichil muknal cave in Belize, which was once considered the entrance to the underworld of Maya the Xibalba. During the rituals of the Maya in the cave is always present fire, pottery and human sacrifices. The victims were led into the cave, was hit on the head hard enough to break through the skull and dropping it on the spot. Then broke several ritual clay vessels. To reach the cave we had to squeeze through several narrow openings and swim across an underground lake. Water with a high mineral content soaked the victim in the cave, so that their skeletons literally rooted to the floor of the cave and sparkling crystals.
3. Plutonium
Plutonium is not only radioactive element, but the name of the Greek entrance to Hades. In Hierapolis (modern Pamukkale, Turkey) is a place that the locals call promising a “hole demons.” It was here that they found what was left of the temple of Pluto. During excavations was found a hole in the ground, from which emanates carbon dioxide. His concentration was such that the birds which flew past, choked and fell down dead.
4. The Masaya Volcano
When the conquistadors reached Nicaragua, they found erupting volcano Masaya. For unknown reasons, but they found that in the crater lives the evil power and dubbed it “Hell’s throat”. Although the local population is not believed that the volcano is the entrance to the underworld, the Spaniards were so convinced that found a cross on the edge of the crater. Previously, local people often sacrificed children and women, throwing them into the lava to try to end the drought, believing that the mountain is God who needs to calm down.
5. Pergusa
In Sicily there are the famous volcano Etna, which the ancients thought was a gateway to hell. But it’s also the spot where Hades carried off Persephone, daughter of goddess of harvest Ceres, to his home in the Underworld. The poet Ovid wrote about how Persephone was playing at nearby lake Pergusa, when Hades grabbed her. After her daughter is kidnapped, Ceres went into mourning and the earth became barren. In the end they reached a compromise Hades: Persephone spent six months on earth (spring and summer) and six under her, with her new husband (autumn and winter). Every spring Persephone rises from the Earth and goes through lake Pergusa.
6. Darvaz
In Turkmenistan there is a constantly burning crater. Its origins are disputed, but it is clearly modern. The main theory is that it was set on fire in 1971 When searching for natural gas, Soviet geologists discovered that the well emits poisonous gases. They felt that a reasonable solution would be to burn the gas that they burned. The crater caught fire and continues to burn until now, for the past 45 years. Flaming crater, Darvaza is known worldwide as the “Gate to hell”.
7. Boiling Hells of Beppu
Unlike some other “gate to hell” in this list, to hell Beppu can be easily reached by bus. Japan is located on the Pacific ring of fire, so it present in large numbers volcanic hot springs, vivid examples of which can be found in the town of Beppu. Here you can find a real infernal lake, where it is impossible to swim, because they…. boil. And considering that one of them red water (due to the presence of oxides of iron and magnesium), it looks like the lake of boiling blood .
8. Ghost city Fengdu
On the mountain Mines in China, there is a whole complex of temples and shrines. They all have some Association with the afterlife and those who seek to achieve it. The mountain became known as hell, when the two seekers of wisdom, Yin and Wang, 200 years BC went there to practice Taoist teachings. In the end, they gained wisdom and became immortal, but if you read their names together (Yinwang), in Chinese it means “King of hell”.
Visitors who want to get to the Fandom, but to avoid hell, you must pass three tests. For a start they need to cross the bridge that can cross only a virtuous people (and the wicked fall from it). The next challenge is to go the way of ghosts, which man will be judged dead. The third test is to stand on one leg for three minutes on the stone.
9. The Cave Of The Sibyl
In the ancient world people had taken seriously the prophecies. It was believed that under the influence of God some people can see the future. In the ancient world such prophetess was sibyl is a female prophet. One of the most famous was the cumaean sibyl, which was described in the Aeneid”. Aeneas on the way to the sibyl had to go down to the underworld, which was a cave with many passages. Interestingly, in 1932, this cave of the sibyl was really found in the Kum and it has many tunnels and side branches.
10. Necromanteion Ether
In Hades there are five rivers. Interestingly, Necromanteion Ether (Oracle of the dead) sits about three: Acheron (river of sorrow), Pyriphlegethon (“Blazing fire”) and Leucocytes (“River of cries”). In Necromanteion Ether it was possible to talk with those whom Charon moved to the other side of the river in the realm of the dead. Is this place underground vaults, which could be accessed through underground tunnels, passing several iron gates.
