Ancient Wonders Keep on Going

While reviewing Pleiades placemarks, I stumbled onto some interesting Panoramio content in the neighborhood of Hephaistion [KML]. The Barrington Atlas indicates a feature named CHIMAERA M. at the site of Hephaistion, a hill about one mile east of the Lycian coastal road.

Unless these photos are a hoax, the ancient, natural vents are still leaking methane, and can be lit by tourists. A ruin, presumably the Hephaistion temple itself, is at the lower right of the second image, not far from the leaking rock outcrop.

The geography of southwestern Turkey is blowing my mind. While you've got Google Earth open, check out Hierapolis, Turkey's Yellowstone.