• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Inside abandoned ghost town that cost $200 million and is filled with castles

Home> News> World News

Published 20:27 6 Aug 2024 GMT+1

Inside abandoned ghost town that cost $200 million and is filled with castles

From a distance it looks like something out of Disney World... but it is far from it

Joe Yates

Joe Yates

There is a town on this planet that was under construction as part of a $200 million project and is filled with castles, and nothing else.

No occupants, no sign of life, nothing.

Located in Turkey, Burj Al Babas looks like something from Disney World, although it's much, much gloomier.

Advert

The ghost town can be found near Murdurnu, a small town to the north of the country roughly a two hour drive from the Black Sea.

More than 500 castles lay abandoned in Burj Al Babas, Turkey. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
More than 500 castles lay abandoned in Burj Al Babas, Turkey. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

There are 587 abandoned miniature castles grouped throughout the village, and there was supposed to be 732 three-story luxury villas.

Nothing about this place sounds luxurious, although it was supposed to be when construction started in 2014.

Advert

All the castles would consist of a jacuzzi on each of its three floors, as well as underfloor heating.

While, according to the original brochure it sent out to customers, it was expected that the centre of the site would have a large domed structure that would consist of a shopping centre, health and beauty facilities, a mosque and cinema.

But halfway through making them, developer Sarot Group ran out of money and filed for bankruptcy with a debt of $5 million.

It had hoped to catch the eye of flashy tourists looking to buy a holiday home in the Turkish sun, and they were priced between $370,000 and $530,000.

Advert

Meaning, if they were all sold for the minimum amount Sarot Group would have landed $270 million... but that wasn't to be, as the decision was made to completely abandon the site in 2019.

Burj Al Babas may never be complete after plans to finish construction was abandoned in 2019. (Adem ALTAN / AFP/ ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Burj Al Babas may never be complete after plans to finish construction was abandoned in 2019. (Adem ALTAN / AFP/ ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Initially hiring 2,500 workers, the developers had hoped to finish within four years - and it was actually successful in the beginning with half of the castles selling before work had finished.

But in 2018, sales came to an abrupt end, with falling oil prices and instability in Turkey being the pinned as the reason for the sales drying up - and it was then that Sarot Group entered bankruptcy.

Advert

However, the mayor of Mudurnu, Mehmet İnegöl, was confident that it would be completed, although to date not one house has been.

The locals had their backs up from the start, and can you blame them?

Yes when construction began, they fumed at the gothic looks of the castles explaining that they did not resemble anything from the local area and that they would stick out from the countryside.

Then they fumed some more after claiming the developers were chopping trees down and damaging the environment.

Advert

Will we ever see the Burj Al Babas complete?

Featured Image Credit: ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Topics: World News, Travel

Joe Yates
Joe Yates

Joe is a journalist for UNILAD, who particularly enjoys writing about crime. He has worked in journalism for five years, and has covered everything from murder trials to celeb news.

X

@JMYjourno

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • $50,000,000 ghost town that was completely abandoned after just 18 months is still untouched
  • Eerie ghost town abandoned for 40 years was bought for $22,000,000 by mysterious buyer
  • Inside the mysterious abandoned ghost ship that's been docked for over a decade
  • Kim Kardashian spotted at Indian billionaire's celeb-filled wedding that allegedly cost $156m

Choose your content:

4 hours ago
5 hours ago
  • 4 hours ago

    TSA issues warning as it bans passengers from taking nine bizarre items on planes

    If you're vacationing soon, you might want to double check that you don't have any of these items in your luggage

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Apple TV's 'excellent' new film was shot entirely on iPhone and is available to stream for free online

    British musician Stormzy stars in the new Apple TV short film

    Film & TV
  • 5 hours ago

    Pentagon shares details behind 'highly classified' strike on Iran and how stealth bombers traveled ‘without the world knowing’

    Operation Midnight Hammer included more than 125 aircraft, units from the Navy, and so-called 'bunker buster' bombs

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    People are divided after dentist reveals the proper way to brush your teeth

    Dr Victoria Sampson told Steven Bartlett all about oral hygiene on The Diary of a CEO podcast

    News