The stone burns in 2500 years of Turkey

Yanartas is the area near Olympus valley, southwest Turkey, known for fires burning all year round. In Turkish, Yanartas means 'the burning rock'.

Those flames are inspirations of the poet Homer to create the breathing fire monster Chimera in Illiat epic. A Greek god - Bellerophon had buried the Chimera underground. And many native people believe this is where Chimera was buried and the flames are its breath.

In fact, the flame emitted from the rocks is the result of methane leakage from beneath geological stratum through the openings. Methane source in Yanartas is said to be formed from higher temperature than the surrounding area. No one knows what has ignited these gas streams, but those flames has been continuously burning throughout the last 2,500 years.

In a recent study of Giuseppe Etiope, a scientist of National Geophysics and Vulcanology in Rome, Italy, and his colleagues at Bolyai University (Romania), the answer may have been found. The group of experts said, Ruthenium, a rare metal found in fire rocks under the region can act as a catalyst. In the laboratory, Ruthenium boosts formation of methane at a temperature below 100 degrees Celsius, equivalent to the heat at Yanartas.

"The result shows that the methane formation may occur at lower temperatures than conventional thinking", New Scientist quoted Michael Whiticar, expert from Victoria University, Canada.

According to Etiope, a significant amount of methane this form may exist in the world, open up new prospect of seeking new natural gas supplies.

For hundreds years, sailors floating in the sea can see those flames and use them as markers to determine direction. And today, they are used by traveler to brew tea.