A £160m ‘Disney castle’ village which was built in Turkey – where buyers could snap their own distinctive home – could be the world’s poshest ghost town.
In Mudurnu, Turkey, Burj Al Babas was supposed to be a luxurious village with more than 700 properties, each one with underfloor heating, and jacuzzis on each floor.
Had they been finished, they would have each sold for £500,000.
Just 350 properties were sold after attracting interest from residents in oil-rich nations including The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Building work started in 2014 and was led by developers the Sarot Group, who invested £120m initially on the project. They planned to install saunas, steam rooms, indoor swimming pools, an aqua park with water slides and a mosque.
But in 2019, production ended when it was reported the development group had filed for bankruptcy with £21m worth of debt, and could no longer afford the spiralling costs.
Now, the village sits empty and is described as the most luxurious ghost town in the world.
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People living nearby did not approve of the architecture of the Disney-style village, as it did not fit with the Ottoman-style historical mansions in surrounding Mudurnu.
The desolate half-built village has become a hotspot for dark tourists as they head to its abandoned alleyways.
Ben Thissen, 34, who trekked through the forgotten village said it was “surreal” and would be “horrible” to live there.
He told the Mirror: “It’s a surreal sight. For me, it would be horrible to live here. All castles look the same and you have no privacy at all. The castles are crammed next to each other.
“You can almost shake hands with your neighbours on the balcony.
“Next to it is a really nice traditional village and this is a ‘thorn in the eye’ for the traditional village. I wonder why they had to build this right next to it.
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He added: “This ghost town started as a luxurious development project, which could’ve boosted the local economy.
“The investors promised high-end villas inspired by French castles in the Loire Valley and lavish amenities for its buyers.
“The majority of the buyers were supposed to be wealthy Gulf tourists so the project got an Arabic name.”
Now resembling a dystopian Hollywood film set – the area is gathering dust as its future is uncertain. But for now, it is only curious dark tourists who make the trek there.
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