27 June 2023 , 12:14
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An abandoned utopia where Disney-esque luxury villas, thought to have inspired the magical kingdom, stand has been discovered by an intrepid explorer.
Bob Thissen, 34, trekked through the ghost town named Burj Al Babas, in Turkey, where 587 deserted top-of-the-range homes have stood still for years.
The luxurious urban development for wealthy foreigners was never completed and has become an eerie ghost town.
Bob said: "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.
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The former luxury villas would've cost buyers £400K to own when development was underway (BOB THISSEN / CATERS NEWS)"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."
These castles were part of a luxurious development project which started in 2014 by a Turkish development firm named Sarot Group, costing the developers £150 million, who planned to build 732 identical villas.
It now stands as an eerie eyesore for the inhabitants of the local village (BOB THISSEN / CATERS NEWS)However, when the company went bankrupt in 2018 the project was cancelled, leaving a ghost town of 587 abandoned castles in Mudurnu, Turkey.
It now stands as an eerie eyesore for the inhabitants of the local village.
Bob explained: "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.
Bob approaching the abandoned town (BOB THISSEN / CATERS NEWS)"Majority of the buyers were supposed to be wealthy Gulf tourists so the project got an Arabic name. Burj Al Babas. Burj means tower and al Babas refers to a local spa."
From a distance, the turrets are very similar to the fairytale paradise of Disney, but up close they are sadly empty and out of place in the surrounding landscapes of Bolu province.
The luxurious urban development for wealthy foreigners was never completed (BOB THISSEN / CATERS NEWS)Bob continued: "In 2018 the company went bankrupt. A fairy tale which didn't end well. During the years not much work was done anymore and the project turned into a ghost town.
"I heard recently they are trying to get money from curious tourists. I think it will be a tourist destination or movie location in the future."
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