17 places around the world where you can visit the gates of hell
The idea of Satan ruling over a fiery inferno has long captured our imaginations.
During the Middle Ages, European artists popularized this Christian worldview by painting humans tumbling through Hell’s gateways into a realm of eternal torture. If their art were to be taken at face value, then where are the gates of Hell located, and how many Hell gates are there?
Local legends suggest Satan has several hellholes on Earth, including a blazing gas crater in Turkmenistan and a skull-littered cave in Belize. Some locations, such as the unassuming town of Hellam, Pennsylvania, supposedly contain seven gates of Hell that one must pass through in the correct order to pay the Devil a visit.
As I discuss in my book The Little Book of Satanism: A Guide to Satanic History, Culture, and Wisdom, many non-Christian cultures have conceived of fierce underworld rulers that share similarities with Satan. If you’re brave enough to pass through the doors to Hell in Mexico, China, or Turkey, then this demonic-inspired travel guide is for you.
