Ateshga

Ateshga ('place of fire'), a spot about a mile in diameter, on the peninsula of Apsheron, on the west coast of the Caspian Sea. It is considered sacred by the Guebres, or Persian Fire-worshippers, who still visit it in large numbers, and bow before the holy flames which issue from the bituminous soil. The site of a former temple of this sect is now occupied by large petroleum works, where the natural gas is utilised for fuel for the vast retorts.