One Of Turkey's Eeriest Destinations Is This Ghost Town With Hundreds Of Uninhabited Fairytale Castles

At a glance, this roadside oddity in a remote region of Turkey might look like an offshoot of Disney World or other amusement parks. If you happen to be passing by, you won't find a ticket office or welcome center, though, because the complex of Burj Al Babas —despite the many castle-like buildings it's filled with — is completely abandoned.

What began as an ambitious new housing project has turned into a viral sensation, drawing travelers and urban explorers to Bolu Province, a popular mountain getaway destination halfway between Istanbul and the Turkish capital of Ankara. Two things make this place feel so uncanny. Firstly, unlike other abandoned destinations, such as Italy's eerie abandoned hill towns, no one has ever lived in one of the fairytale-like constructions of Burj Al Babas. Secondly, there is something downright creepy and strange about seeing so many identical European-style castles clustered together. It feels claustrophobic and inauthentic to the traditional Turkish architecture one would hope to see in the area.

How a place like this comes into existence is an interesting story, but so is the fact that it has become popular with adventurous travelers who aren't afraid to trespass. Here's everything you need to know about Burj Al Babas, including whether or not you should or will be allowed to visit.

The origin of Turkey's empty castle town can be traced back to plans to build a luxury housing complex that would offer prospective buyers access to free spa services and next-door access to a large shopping center –– the skeleton of which can be seen today at the site. The location in the town of Mudurnu, which is one of the Bolu Province's thermal spring hot spots, would have capitalized on the naturally warm waters. The villas surrounding this complex were designed to be built in an identical style with European-style facades, Gothic tower rooftops, and elegant spiral staircases.

Construction of this idyllic neighborhood began in 2014, and a total of 587 housing units were sold, but it all unraveled within the first few years. Facing public criticism and lawsuits that objected to both the aesthetics of the project and the damage to the environment, the developers eventually declared bankruptcy. The project was abandoned in 2019, leaving many houses unfinished and £200 million GBP (about $257 million USD) squandered. There are no plans to restart the project. Still, in the meantime, Burj Al Babas has become a viral sensation in the travel community, and it was even featured in a music video by the Italian house group Meduza.

Burj Al Babas is not an official tourist attraction. It is an abandoned construction site, and therefore, it is illegal to trespass on the grounds. If you're still interested, though, you can still get a pretty good look at it from the road. Guards are posted at the entrance, and whether or not you can talk your way in seems like a mixed bag. Some Google reviewers have said that guards might ask for money, while others seem content to appreciate the site from the outside. One user suggested, "The place is located in a valley, so you can see [it] very well from two different hills nearby. The road goes right next to the area. You can easily stop your car anywhere."

If you are taking a road trip, perhaps along the breathtaking cliffs of Turkey's Black Sea Coast, you could visit Burj Al Babas as a detour. There's no public transportation direct to Mudurnu, so you will need a car to get there. Fly into Istanbul and drive about 250 miles southeast to reach the site. Or start in Ankara, which is only a 127-mile drive northwest. It would be ambitious to do this as a day trip from either city, so book accommodation nearby in the hot spring town of Bolu, which is only 44 miles northeast of Burj al Babas.