Turkey’s abandoned Burj Al Babas (Image: Getty)
has seen a rise in popularity recently as more people are deterred by conventional in favour of something macabre.
Burj Al Babas in is one such location as the sprawling ghost town of 587 incomplete Disney-like castles is catching the attention of holidaymakers.
What was once envisioned as a luxurious haven for wealthy foreign buyers has become an eerie tourist curiosity, drawing dark tourism enthusiasts to its deserted streets.
In 2014, Sarot Properties Group embarked on the $200 million project to build a fairytale-inspired town near the Roman spa town of Mudurnu.
Designed to emulate European chateaus, these villas boasted Gothic-style rooftops, underfloor heating, and Jacuzzis on every level.
Burj Al Babas was meant to be a luxury residence (Image: Getty)
The town was planned to include Turkish baths, fitness centers, cinemas, and shopping hubs, aiming to combine European luxury with a Mediterranean climate.
Priced between $370,000 and $500,000, the homes targeted affluent buyers, particularly from the Middle East. However, what began as an ambitious development quickly unraveled into financial chaos.
The project hit several roadblocks. Locals objected to the castles’ aesthetic, which clashed with the region’s Ottoman-style architectural heritage.
Environmental concerns arose, with accusations that the development had destroyed trees and harmed the ecosystem. Adding to the woes, Turkey’s economic struggles left the developers grappling with a $27 million debt, forcing Sarot Group into bankruptcy by 2019.
While Sarot initially expressed confidence in completing the project, the -19 pandemic dealt a final blow, leaving the site abandoned. The once-hopeful “mini Disney” now stands as a somber monument to failed ambitions.
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The abandoned castle community is now a haven for dark tourism (Image: Getty)
Though uninhabitable, Burj Al Babas has found a new life as a site for dark tourism. The abandoned castles, with their turreted facades and unfinished interiors, evoke an eerie, post-apocalyptic atmosphere.
Rows of gray-roofed structures stand frozen in time, their grandeur tarnished by overgrown landscaping and scattered building materials.
Despite its status as a construction site with open wiring and structural hazards, intrepid tourists have ventured into the area. Some have sneaked in through nearby woods, while others, like travel vlogger Ilke Opperman, have been granted access by on-site guards.
Visitors are warned to exercise caution due to the site’s many dangers.
While there are no official tours or visitor facilities, the site’s haunting beauty continues to attract explorers. However, access is limited, and visitors are urged to tread carefully in this desolate, half-finished kingdom of castles.