Inside eerie ghost town of half-built Disney-inspired mansions
On the coast of the Black Sea sits an eerie ghost town full of Disney-inspired mansions that were never finished.
On the coast of the Black Sea sits an eerie ghost town full of Disney-inspired mansions that were never finished.
The fairy tale town, located in Turkey’s northwestern Bolu region, was left to rot after the builders filed for bankruptcy.
Burj Al Babas was developed on a 101-hectare site in the Roman spa town of Mudurnu and promised to offer a slice of European luxury in the Middle East, The Sun reports.
The developer Sarot Properties Group blew a whopping £160 million ($307 million) on the project, hoping wealthy Arab investors would flock to the area.
The builders planned to install a water park in the town, complete with slides, streams, indoor swimming pools, Turkish baths, saunas and steam rooms, to seal the sweet deal.
The prospective buyers could get their own royal mansion fitted with underfloor heating and jacuzzis on every level for £400,000 ($760,000).
The gothic-style pointy rooftops and intricate balconies that offer stunning sea views resembled those from Disney classics.
Nestled in the lush Turkish forest, the town seemed to be straight out of Cinderella story – albeit, without a happy ending.
Despite the dreamy look, only 350 homes were sold and the streets of Burj Al Babas remain empty to this day.
The construction began in 2014 and only two-thirds of the planned 732 houses were completed before the builders ran out of money.
The ambitious plans left the developers with a massive debt of £21 million ($40 million).
Caught up in economic turmoil of the country, the builders were then forced to file for bankruptcy in 2019.
The developers were also under fire for allegedly destroying trees as they faced a legal action from the residents.
The locals were opposed to the project, arguing that the castles looked out of place among the Ottoman-style mansions, and harmed the environment.
The construction was halted indefinitely, and today the eerie village shows no signs of life.
At a first glance, it still seems like a fairy tale kingdom, but at a closer look, the abandoned town gives off a post-apocalyptic feel.
The building materials are scattered across the site, and the half-built castles lie unliveable.
Only curious tourists occasionally sneak into the ghost kingdom to peak at rows of partially finished villas.
Another mysterious abandoned castle mansion was found frozen in time deep in the Canadian forest.
Built in 1973, the 836 sqm mansion once stood proudly on 2.4ha of beautiful property before it met its tragic demise.
An urban explorer has also revealed his discovery of a “really dangerous” old Victorian mansion.
The creepy property was filled with unopened amazon packages and retro arcade games.
Meanwhile, in the tranquil resort town of Guatape, Columbia, Pablo Escobar’s abandoned mansion was left covered in vegetation.
La Manuela was one of the drug kingpin’s favourite luxury hideaways but was blown up and left to decay the same year he was gunned down.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
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