What Went Wrong With Ghost Town Of Disney-Esque Castles?

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10 November 2024

Burj Al Babas project was launched in 2014 in the Turkish town of Mudurnu, near the Black Sea. 


Image: X/@SustainableTall

The town is full of half-finished, abandoned, mini Disney-esque castles. 700 buildings were planned but only 587 could be half-constructed.


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Turkiye-based Sarot Group came up with the idea of identical castles to mirror a Disney fantasyland.


Image: X/@lanasator

However, the project received backlash from locals who criticised the design that was devoid of any Ottoman features.


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Additionally, Sarot Group faced allegations of illegally felling the trees in the region.


Image: X/@lanasator

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Planned as a luxurious project, the castles were offered to buyers for prices ranging between $370,000 to $500,000.


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Despite the backlash, half of the units sold quickly, primarily to clients from Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.


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But when the real estate market crumbled alongside the Turkish currency in 2018, Sarot Group declared bankruptcy.


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They abandoned 587 units that were under construction, leaving buyers hanging.


Image: X/@lanasator

Are the houses liveable?
The town where the castles were built remains unlivable. The empty area bears similarities to that of a long-lost Soviet city.


Image: X/@lanasator

Will it be finished?
There is no timeframe for the completion. There were reports of Sarot Group taking up the project again but the COVID-19 derailed the plans.


Image: X/@loouisfernandes

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