Flaming Self-Abuse Not Like in the Olden Days.

(From The Moscow Times)

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We look forward to hearing from you.Email the Opinion Page EditorSURAKHANI, Azerbaijan -- It's an unlikely place for a tourist attraction. The town of Surakhani is a sprawl of unattractive housing blocks intersected by a railway line, which takes passengers out to the Absheron Peninsular, the hook-shaped section of coastline that was once the most polluted in the world.

But beyond the rusting tracks, there's a unique Zoroastrian fire temple whose origins date back to the sixth century.

Indian traders following the Silk Route first noticed the curious flames that shot up from the ground in Surakhani. They told the fireworshippers back home about the strange phenomenon and soon a temple had been built around the largest of the natural flames. They set up 26 pilgrims' cells surrounding the temple where visitors could rest and pray. Many of the rooms had their own natural flames in the center, too.