An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by
natural gas leaks,
peat fires and
coal seam fires, all of which can be initially ignited by lightning,
piezoelectricity or human activity, some of which have burned for hundreds or thousands of years.
In ancient times, eternal flames were fueled by wood or
olive oil;[citation needed] modern examples usually use a piped supply of
propane or natural gas. Human-created eternal flames most often
commemorate a person or event of national significance, serve as a symbol of an enduring nature such as a
religious belief, or a reminder of commitment to a common goal, such as
diplomacy.
Religious and cultural significance
The eternal fire is a long-standing tradition in many cultures and religions. In
ancient Iran the atar was tended by a dedicated priest and represented the concept of "divine sparks" or Amesha Spenta, as understood in
Zoroastrianism. Period sources indicate that three "great fires" existed in the
Achaemenid era of Persian history, which are collectively considered the earliest reference to the practice of creating ever-burning community fires.[1]
The eternal flame was a component of the Jewish religious rituals performed in the
Tabernacle and later in the
Temple in Jerusalem, where a commandment required a fire to burn continuously upon the Outer
Altar.[2] Modern Judaism continues a similar tradition by having a
sanctuary lamp, the ner tamid, always lit above
the ark in the synagogue. After
World War II, such flames gained further meaning, as a reminder of the six million Jews killed in
the Holocaust. In traditional Christian denominations, such as
Catholicism and
Lutheranism, a
chancel lamp continuously burns as an indication of the
real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.[3]
In China, it has at times been common to establish an eternally lit lamp as a visible aspect of
ancestor veneration; it is set in front of a
spirit tablet on the family's ancestral altar.[5]
In Judaism, there is a concept of a נר תמיד or everlasting flame. This is commonly found hanging in front of the Aron Kodesh (holy ark) in orthodox Synagogues. It is meant as a remembrance of the Temple. Occasionally this flame is a fire which is kept lit 24/7. Other times it is merely electric and stays on all the time.
Extinguished flames
Eternal fire at Nymphaion sanctuary in southern
Illyria. Placed around the lower
Vjosë/Aoos river near ancient
Apollonia and present-day
Selenica,
Albania, the area was occupied by
Illyrians since before
archaic colonial times, and the site was likely already a place of worship because of its peculiar physical properties.[6] According to ancient literary accounts the fire of the sanctuary never went out before an ancient war fought between Apollonia and the Illyrians.[7]
The
Hebrew Bible commands that "The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out" (
Leviticus 6:5,[8]JPS, regarding the
altar of Burnt Offering in the
Tabernacle, and later the altars in
Solomon's Temple and the
Second Temple (the latter sacked by Rome in 70 AD). Many churches (especially Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran), along with Jewish synagogues, feature an eternal flame on or hung above their
altars (churches) or
Torah arks (synagogues).
The
Sacred fire of Vesta in Ancient Rome, which burned within the Temple of Vesta on the
Roman Forum, was extinguished in 394 AD.
The eternal flame near the
Bronze Soldier of Tallinn in Estonia was extinguished after the country gained independence from the
USSR in 1991.
The eternal flame that was part of the
East German "Memorial to the Victims of Fascism and Militarism" at the
Neue Wache in East Berlin was removed after the 1990
German reunification. In 1993, the space was redesigned without a flame and rededicated as the "Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany for the Victims of War and Tyranny".
A lighthouse-like memorial in the suburb of
Eira in
Helsinki,
Finland was originally erected in honour of the Finnish seamen and
seafaring. It later became a symbol of those who have perished at the sea, the
Baltic Sea in particular.[12] A minor controversy arose when the flame was temporarily extinguished, to conserve gas, technically meaning the flame was not an eternal one. It had been relit but in the middle 2010s, the city of Helsinki grew tired of having to relight the flame and decided to put it out for good.[13]
Sisak, in Dr. Franjo Tuđman Park, in front of city market and swimming pool, in memory of soldiers fallen in the
Croatian War of Independence
France
Paris, under the archway at the
Arc de Triomphe, which has burned since 1921, and continuously since 1998, in memory of all who died in World War I. It was briefly extinguished during the 1998 World Cup by a drunk tourist.
Dublin, at Merrion Square Park, the National Memorial to members of the Defence Forces burns to honour those who have lost their lives in the service of the Irish State.
Kildare, a perpetual flame burns in the town square. It was formerly housed, since 1993, at Solas Bhríde, a sanctuary run by the Catholic Brigidine sisters. The modern flame rekindles the original one burned by the sisters of
Saint Brigit in Kildare, which was extinguished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Riga, at
Brothers' Cemetery or Cemetery of the Brethren (Brāļu Kapi), a military cemetery and national monument memorializing thousands of Latvian soldiers who were killed between 1915 and 1920 in World War I and the Latvian War of Independence. The memorial was built between 1924 and 1936, and designed by sculptor Kārlis Zāle.
Luxembourg, near the Place du Saint-Esprit, in memory of all Luxembourgers fallen in World War II.
Malta
Floriana, inaugurated in 2012. Two eternal flames are placed beside the
War Memorial, dedicated to all the Maltese dead of World War I and World War II.[16]
Amsterdam, at the Hollandsche Schouwburg, in memorial of the Dutch Jewish people who were killed in World War II
Maastricht, at the Market Square, a statue of
Jan Pieter Minckeleers, a Dutch scientist and inventor who discovered illuminating gas (coal gas) and was the inventor of
gas lighting.
Ufa has two eternal flames. The first was lit in 1967, honouring soldiers, who fell fighting for the
Soviet Union. The second was lit in 1980 in Victory Park, honouring
Alexander Matrosov and Minnigali Gubaidullin.
Salavat, opened in 1981. Honors Salavat citizens, who died during the Great Patriotic War.
Arkhangelsk, in honor of fallen Northerners in 1941–1945
Barcelona, Catalonia, at the
Fossar de les Moreres (adjacent to the Basílica de
Santa Maria del Mar), honouring the Catalans buried there, who died defending Barcelona from those loyal to Philip V on the
siege of 1714. The torch with the eternal flame was inaugurated in 2001.
The 'Peace flame' in
Derry, at the 'Peace Garden', to symbolise the renewed hope and peace created in the city in the post-
Troubles era. Opened in 2013 by Martin Luther King III.[22] The flame was extinguished during 2017-2018 by a group of vandals.[23] The flame has since been re-lit.
The Centennial Flame on the grounds of the
Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton, Alberta commemorates the same milestone as its counterpart in Ottawa. The flame burns from a metallic cauldron and is located south along the walkway from the south entrance of the Legislature between the south side of Legislature Building Road NW and Fortway Drive NW. Another eternal flame is located on the grounds of the Legislature honours those fallen in the line of duty working for the province.
California:
Koyasan Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles, where the Peace Flame directly taken from the torch at the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan is kept. The flame was brought to Los Angeles in 1989 by Mayor
Tom Bradley and has been maintained by the resident priests ever since.
University of California, Santa Barbara, houses an eternal flame on its campus in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Auburn, on the corner of Fulweiler St. and Nevada St. depicts a soldier carrying a fallen comrade. The statue is named "Why".
Redlands, in Jennie Davis Park (corner of Redlands Blvd. and New York St.), at the Veterans' Memorial.
La Mirada, in front of City Hall to honor the residents who have given their life for their country.
Pico Rivera, in front of the civic center, to honor Pico Rivera veterans who died in the line of duty.
Georgia:
Carrollton, at the main entrance of the University of West Georgia, lit at the beginning of each school year;
Decatur, at the square downtown, for the
Korean War, World War II, and the
Vietnam War;
Monroe, at the Monroe Historic Courthouse, to honor Walton County veterans;
Savannah at the Chatham County Courthouse dedicated to the "Glory of God" and honors veterans, specifically Captain Willie O. Sasser, U.S. Air Force;
Atlanta, at the
King Center, for assassinated civil rights leader
Martin Luther King Jr.
Illinois:
Chicago, at Daley Plaza, to honor those who perished in World War II, ignited August 22, 1972, by Albina Nance, president of the Illinois Gold Star Mothers.[26]Highland Park, in the Freedom's Sacrifice veterans memorial located on the corner of St. John Ave and Central Avenue to remember the soldiers from Highland Park that gave their lives in the name of freedom.
Naperville, on the city's Riverwalk to honor victims of
September 11 attacks.
Loves Park, in Holdridge Park on North Second Street to honor all veterans.
Indiana:
Highland, the Highland-Wicker Park Veterans Memorial in Wicker Park on Indianapolis Boulevard and Ridge Road, erected to honor all veterans.
Louisiana:
Saint Martinville, at the Acadian Memorial, symbolizing the survival of exiled
Acadians as south Louisiana
Cajuns.
Massachusetts:
Springfield, at
Forest Park, John F. Kennedy Memorial Flame to honor the memory of President Kennedy. The flame was lit November 22, 1964 on the first anniversary of his death.
North Dakota:
Grand Forks, at the
University of North Dakota, Old Main Memorial Sphere erected on the site where the university's first building once stood.
Ohio:
Cincinnati at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Represents the candles that were placed in the windows of Underground Railroad Supporters.
Canton, Garden Center, incorporated into the city's memorial to the memory of President John F. Kennedy, dedicated in 1966.
Steubenville, at the Tomb of the Unborn Child, the gravesite of seven aborted
fetuses, on the campus of the
Franciscan University of Steubenville.
Columbus, at
Battelle Riverfront Park, to honor fallen members of the Columbus Fire Department.
Clinton, at Ohio Veterans Memorial Park. The monument is made up of a large sitting area that is surrounded by benches, a four tier waterfall, a fifty foot wide pond, a black granite POW/MIA monument, an inverted Vietnam War helmet with the eternal flame and a cast steel POW/MIA seal.[27]Mount Vernon, on the campus of
Mount Vernon Nazarene University to honor the commitment to learning and the expansion of knowledge.
Eastlake, Ohio: eternal flame located at the boulevard of 500 flags in honor of all those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. Sits beside a piece of steel beam from the World Trade Towers.
In the
Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. It was lit on August 17, 1947 to honor the tomb of General José de San Martín, whose remains rest inside it; and the soldiers who fought and perished in the wars for Argentina, Chile and Perú's independence from the Spanish crown.
Outside the
Pantheon of Fatherland and Freedom, Tancredo Neves, Brasília, on top of a tower built on the diagonal, burns an eternal flame which represents the freedom of the people and the country's independence.
In
São Sepé, central region of the state of
Rio Grande do Sul, Boqueirão Ranch has a shed that houses a fire that has been lit since the shed was built in 1800. The Simões Pires family, in its sixth generation, currently maintains the bonfire still lit today.[28]
Api Abadi Mrapen (Mrapen Eternal Fire), Grobogan,
Central Java. It was used as a torch flame source for the 1st
GANEFO. It died out on the 25th of September 2020, possibly as a result of nearby mining activity.[32][33]
Api Biru (Blue Fire),
Ijen,
Banyuwangi,
East Java. This phenomenon comes from the ignition of sulfur continuously erupting to the surface. Its
electric-blue flames are visible only at night.
Api Abadi Kayangan Api (Kayangan Api Eternal Fire),
Bojonegoro, East Java. This site has had an eternal flame since the era of the
Majapahit.
Api Abadi Bekucuk (Bekucuk Eternal Fire), East Java.
At
Yanartaş in the
Olympos National Park in Turkey, natural gas burns from many vents on the side of the mountain. It is thought to be the location of ancient
Mount Chimaera. This is the largest venting of possibly abiogenic methane on Earth's terrestrial surface,[38] and has been burning for over 2500 years. The flames were used in ancient times as a
navigation beacon.
Deep in the Himalayas of
Nepal in
Jomsom, a flame is said to be burning for thousands of years in one of the most sacred Hindu temples of world called
Muktinath.[citation needed]
In
Murchison, New Zealand, a natural flame has been burning in the forest since it was lit by hunters in 1922. Access is facilitated by a tour company that serves tea and pancakes cooked on the fire.
Fueled by coal seams
A coal seam-fueled eternal flame in Australia known as "
Burning Mountain" is claimed to be the world's longest burning fire, at 6,000 years old.[41]
^mondial, UNESCO Centre du patrimoine.
"Takht-e Sulaiman". UNESCO Centre du patrimoine mondial.
^Leviticus 6:12: "And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings"
Biblos Cross-referenced Holy Bible (King James version)
^Hall, Ashley (2012).
"Sanctuary lamp". Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
^
abFrom the First Rising Sun: The Real Prehistory of the Cherokee People and Nation According to Oral Traditions, Legends, and Myths. Charla Jean Morris. Author House, Bloomington, IN: 2011. Page xvii.