Burj Al Babas In Turkey Is Home To 732 Abandoned Castles

Rows of Disney-style castles lie empty across the landscape

Located between Istanbul and the Turkish capital, Ankara lies the now-abandoned Burj Al Babas complex. Originally, the brainchild of property developers, the Sarot Group, this Turkish Disneyland is now completely empty. With over 700 miniature castles, lying in various unfinished states, this is an eerie ghost town just a short distance from the Roman spa town of Mudurnu.

The idea was simple. For anywhere between $330,000 to $440,000 you could get your own miniature palace to call your own and benefit from the Turkish sunshine, cheap prices, and healing hot spring waters of the neighboring town. On the surface, it’s the perfect holiday home situation, so why did it go so badly wrong?

The specifications for these mini castles ranged, but the promises included underfloor heating and at least one jacuzzi swimming pool per place. This was definitely a luxury development at a more palatable price point than the chateaus in the south of France or elsewhere on the continent. While the developers themselves are still hopeful that the project can be completed, it seems very unlikely at this point.

What Happened To Burj Al Babas?

Bankruptcy, pandemics, and spooked investors mean it’s unlikely to ever be finished

So, how did this project go from a hugely ambitious but appealing real estate development to a creepy ghost town in the space of a decade? Well, the building started back in 2014 before being halted in 2016, despite the fact that the properties were slated to be finished in 2018. At this point, there were multiple investors, with some of the properties already being sold on-spec for a reduced rate, as is customary.

However, there were problems from the beginning. Locals were angry that the architecture was so Westernized and not in keeping with the Ottoman opulence that was expected, and there were environmental impacts of the developers destroying trees and the surrounding environment.

Shortly after the building stopped, bankruptcy was filed on the project with $24 million of debt. By 2019, investors who had put in a total of $200 million into the development were pulling out their money.

Fast-forward to today and there is still a lot of uncertainty here. Everything has stopped and no one seems to know what’s going on. There are castle owners with no castles – in fact, half of the 700+ castles have been sold. The developers still have no money to finish the project. The locals still hate the aesthetic. What’s to come? Who knows!

Can You Visit Burj Al Babas?
Officially, no, you cannot visit Burj Al Babas (but also kind of yes)

Officially, you cannot visit Burj Al Babas. It’s private property with guards looking after it until such time as a decision is made about whether the project continues or the castles are destroyed.

That being said, scores of influencers have been sneaking onto the site to record what it’s like there. There have even been music videos filmed here. So, while you can’t officially visit, it seems like the guards are also pretty lax about it.

This complex now holds the title of the largest ghost town in the world, so it’s no wonder that content creators want to witness and share this place, despite restrictions. As literally none of the houses are liveable, it seems unlikely that the project will be repurposed or that even the owners of half the castles will be able to visit anytime soon.

There are plenty of ghost towns and regions around the world that welcome visitors and make money off the eerie phenomena. However, it seems like the Sarot Group is still holding out hope that this project will come to fruition, as do the castle owners, who either want their money back or the dream vacation home they were promised.