Journey to the centre of the volcano... Brave photographer takes trip into the heart of dormant beast to photograph stunning colours left behind by the lava

They are ferocious when on the attack and unpredictable in nature - but absolutely stunning when viewed from the inside.

For these are the spectacular images taken by photographer Lurie Belegurschi, who descended into the heart of Thrihnukagigur volcano, near Reykjavik in Iceland, to show the extraordinary beauty of the magma chambers buried deep within the dormant volcano.

Perhaps the explorer felt secure as he descended to 120 metres - the equivalent of three Statues of Liberty piled one on top of the other - because it has been 4,000 years since the volcano last erupted.

But as he descended in a basket attached to a crane, the old mantra must have run through his head: It's not a question of if, it's when...

Descending to the magma: Look at the bottom of the picture, and you can see fearless explorer Iurie Belegurschi, 120 metres into the heart of the volcano

The extraordinary Thrihnukagigur is situated southeast of Reykjavik in Iceland hasn't gone off for 4,000 years - which is lucky for Ieurie

Descending into the unknown: Sunlight can be glimpsed through the top of the chamber - the exit route for any explosive magma

Despite last erupting four millennia ago, the volcano is dubbed the 'sleeping volcano' because it could come back to life at any time.

Iurie, who is originally from the Republic of Moldova, used a basket secured to a crane to lower himself into the daunting depths of the volcano.

He said it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and an experience he would never forget.

He said: 'Thrihnukagigur volcano is the only place on earth where a volcanic magma chamber is accessible and safe to explore.

'I was a little scared as we descended but that didn't put me off.

'There are no indications of it erupting again in the near future but I guess it was in the back of my mind that you never really know for sure.

'Walking over a lava field is completely different to walking on the pavement.

'There are rocks and holes in the ground and like all underground vaults and caves there's the risk of falling rocks.

'The risk is mostly limited to the walls of the magma chamber so I tried to stay close to the centre of the vault.

'The beautiful colours on the cave walls are the result of the hot lava that ran there 4,000 years ago. It was absolutely stunning to photograph.

'It's not something I've ever done before but I would love to do it again.'

If you can handle the paranoia of an imminent eruption, trips are available to tourists for six weeks every summer.

The colourful volcano is just 60miles from Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano which caused so much chaos when in erupted in 2010.

Jules Verne was inspired to write the classic tale, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, after a visit to the volcanoes of Iceland.

On the outskirts: The Thrihnukagigur volcano, surrounded by cooled lava fields, as it looks from a (hopefully) safe distance

On top of the world... I mean - the bottom of the volcano: Iurie stands in front of the wonderfully-coloured rocks

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