Inside Turkey's eerie abandoned 'fairytale' town where no one lives
In 2014, building began on some luxury houses in Turkey, but now, ten years later, the village makes for a rather eerie ghost town.
The Turkish town of Burj Al Babas, situated near Mudurnu and equidistant from the tourist hotspots of Istanbul and Ankara, presents an eerie sight. It lies deserted and abandoned, a decade after its construction began.
The whimsical homes of Burj Al Babas were the brainchild of property moguls, the Yerdelen brothers, who helm the property development company, the Sarot group.
Their vision was for the village to consist of 732 three-story luxury villas, constructed in the Western Gothic style.
However, since the commencement of construction in 2014, not a single house has been completed, leaving only empty shells standing at the site now.
The brothers had optimistically projected that the town would be completed within four years. Initially, it seemed like a success, with approximately half of the castle-style homes selling in advance of their completion.
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However, the construction has since been plagued with numerous setbacks. The first hurdle came in the form of complaints from disgruntled locals, many of whom were irked that the homes didn't blend in with the rest of the area, arguably becoming somewhat of an eyesore, reports the Mirror.
A subsequent lawsuit accused the developers of destroying trees and causing environmental damage.
Following this, Turkey's economy took a nosedive, making property purchases in the country less attractive to wealthy foreigners - the very demographic that the Yerdelen brothers had hoped would be enticed by these unique homes.
In 2019, the situation worsened when the Sarot Group declared bankruptcy, leaving behind debts of $5 million.
Despite the Mayor of Mudurnu expressing optimism that the project would resume, the town remains deserted five years after the developers' bankruptcy.
The abandoned village of Burj Al Babas has since become a tourist attraction, with visitors flocking to experience its eerie silence and marvel at the spectacle of its unfinished potential.
