and were reported on by historical writers such as Marco Polo. Most mud volcanoes are located off the Baku‐Shamakhy road, about from the city. Causes The reason offered for the Yanar Dagh fires is the result of hydrocarbon gases emanating from below the earth's surface. Apart from Yanar Dagh, the most famous site of such a fire is the Fire Temple near Baku, off the Greater Caucasus, which is a religious site known as an ateshgah, meaning temple of fire. It has also been inferred that such fires could be the cause for "thermal metamorphism." Like the flames of Yanar Dagh, the Ateshgah of Baku's flame was a manifestation of the seepage of natural gas from porous strata, but the natural flow at Ateshgah ceased some time ago and the flames seen there now are fed from a gas main for touristic effect - whereas those at Yanar Dagh are still entirely natural. According to a study carried out by the scientists and geologists of the Geological Survey of Azerbaijan, analyses of four samples taken from Yanar Dagh revealed that the area of maximum flux was situated at the upper side of the fault scarp - the very area from which the flames emanate. The value of microseepage recorded was in the range of 103 mg m−2 d−1 at approximately 30 metres (~100 ft) from the fire, on the upper part of the study area. It has been inferred that the degassing area is larger than the measured area, and it is very likely that the microseepage is pervasive along the fault zone. This fault scarp is inferred as a part of the huge Balakhany-Fatmai structure on the Absheron Peninsula. Yanardagh State Historical, Cultural and Natural Reserve In order to protect this landmark and support tourism in the area, the Yanardagh State Historical, Cultural and Natural Reserve was established by presidential decree dated 2 May 2007. It operates under control of the State Tourism Agency and is located in the village of Mammadli (Absheron District). After major overhauls between 2017-2019, the Yanardagh Museum and Yanardagh Cromlech Stone Exhibition were launched within the territory of the reserve. The reserve covers an area of 64.55 hectares with a 500-seat amphitheater for outdoor concerts. It features a 3-zoned museum with exhibitions displaying ancient stones and pieces of craftsmanship used by locals. There are also tombstones, ancient kurgans, and two burial grounds with historic