There is something about ghost towns that never fails to captivate us. Some are abandoned overnight due to cataclysmic disasters, while others fade into obscurity as economic hardship and depopulation slowly erode entire communities. These forsaken places remind us of the fleeting nature of civilization itself. But Burj Al Babas in Turkey is a different kind of ghost town altogether—one that was never inhabited to begin with.
Welcome to the abandoned, eerie holiday resort of Burj Al Babas, a surreal landscape filled with nearly 600 miniature castles that resemble Disney’s fairy tale homes. Once envisioned as a luxury retreat for wealthy tourists, it is now considered one of Turkey’s largest and most catastrophic real estate failures.
How did this ambitious development spiral into a dystopian, lifeless wasteland? Let’s explore the story behind Burj Al Babas—an architectural oddity lost in time.
A Dream Built on Castles (Literally) in the Air
Burj Al Babas is located in the district of Bolu in northwestern Turkey, a region known for its breathtaking natural beauty. The area features a deep valley, bordered by the picturesque Lake Sülük, surrounded by lush pine forests and thermal springs. The closest town, Mudurnu, has a rich history as an ancient Roman thermal retreat and later became a hub for Turkey’s poultry industry.
In recent years, Mudurnu has been shifting toward tourism, with its elegant Ottoman-era mansions earning a place on UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage list in 2015. The town also joined the international Cittaslow movement in 2018, which promotes economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Mudurnu’s charm lies in its respect for history and tradition—making the nearby construction of Burj Al Babas an even more striking contrast.
The sight of Burj Al Babas is bewildering: rows upon rows of identical houses, crammed together in a uniform pattern. These buildings take inspiration from French châteaux, featuring turrets, arched windows, and light blue-gray conical roofs. But instead of resembling the palaces of the Loire Valley, they look like a bizarre, dystopian version of Disneyland.
A closer look reveals an even more unsettling reality—most of the houses remain unfinished, their interiors barren. The roads between them are incomplete, strewn with construction debris. In some places, abandoned protective gear and tools lie untouched, as if workers had walked away and never returned. With no infrastructure, no paved roads, and no utilities, Burj Al Babas is not a town at all—just a collection of lifeless buildings.
The Ambitious Vision Behind Burj Al Babas
Burj Al Babas was the brainchild of the Sarot Group, a real estate development firm led by brothers Mehmet and Mezher Yerdelen. By the early 2000s, they had already built two successful hotels with spa resorts in the valley, catering to wealthy tourists from the Gulf region. They saw an opportunity: rather than just offering hotel stays, why not sell luxurious holiday homes to affluent investors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar?
The Yerdelen brothers acquired 101 hectares of land in the valley and, in 2011, received planning approval from Mudurnu’s mayor, Mehmet İnegöl. Their plan was grand: 732 French-inspired château-style villas, each priced between $150,000 and $500,000. The development would also include a sprawling entertainment complex, featuring a shopping mall, restaurants, a cinema, sports facilities, a Turkish bath, conference rooms, and an indoor water park.
The project’s marketing materials painted a picture of extravagance. Each villa was designed to be 325 square meters across four levels, boasting parquet floors, gilded decor, and hot tubs on every floor. The natural thermal waters of the region would provide underfloor heating and offer supposed health benefits for ailments like stomach problems and kidney stones.
At first, it seemed like a winning formula. By 2014, construction began with a workforce that grew to 8,000 builders. By 2018, 587 of the planned 732 villas had been completed, and 350 had already been sold. The Sarot Group expected the project to generate over $113 million in revenue, with long-term profits coming from tourism and luxury services.
But then, everything fell apart.
The Downfall of Burj Al Babas
1. Backlash from Locals
Even before construction started, many residents of Mudurnu voiced their opposition to the project. Urban planners and environmentalists criticized the Sarot Group for disregarding the region’s cultural heritage and natural resources. Local environmentalist Mehmet Canter opposed the privatization of the thermal springs, while urban planner İpek Yirmibaş argued that the development was completely out of sync with Mudurnu’s historical identity.
2. Financial Troubles and Worker Disputes
As early as 2014, financial trouble began to emerge. A subcontractor, Metin Duran, sued Sarot Group, alleging that they had destroyed three hectares of protected forest. Duran also claimed that the company owed him nearly $700,000 in unpaid wages. The situation escalated into physical altercations, including a fistfight between Duran and a Sarot employee.
By 2015, construction slowed dramatically. Many workers went unpaid for months, leading to protests. In one extreme case, a laborer climbed onto a concrete mixer and threatened to jump unless his overdue wages were paid.
3. Economic Collapse and the 2018 Bankruptcy
The biggest blow to Burj Al Babas came from external economic factors. Turkey’s political instability and a sharp decline in the Turkish lira caused inflation to soar to 25%. At the same time, falling oil prices weakened the purchasing power of Gulf investors—the primary target market for the villas.
Many buyers pulled out of their contracts, either because they could no longer afford the payments or because the Sarot Group failed to deliver finished homes. By mid-2018, the company had accumulated $27 million in debt. They applied for a court-ordered restructuring, but by November 2018, the court declared them bankrupt, halting construction indefinitely.
The Uncertain Future of Burj Al Babas
For years, Burj Al Babas remained a ghost town, drawing curiosity seekers, photographers, and filmmakers. In 2020, director Alexandre Humbert even shot a short film at the site, reimagining it as a dystopian theme park called Sleeping Beauties.
Then, in 2021, the American company Novawood Group Holdings announced it had acquired the project, with CEO Maad Gül promising to complete construction. However, as of 2024, reports indicate that the Sarot Group may still control the site, casting doubt on Novawood’s involvement.
Most intriguingly, the fate of Burj Al Babas recently caught the attention of the Kuwaiti government. One disgruntled buyer, Yasem Al-Ahmed—a former Kuwaiti Air Force colonel—escalated the issue to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In May 2024, Kuwait’s monarch, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, discussed the matter with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This high-level intervention has prompted a Turkish court to investigate the Sarot Group for potential fraud.
As of now, Burj Al Babas remains untouched—its empty castles standing as a monument to failed ambition.
FAQs About Burj Al Babas
1. Is Burj Al Babas completely abandoned?
Yes, the development is uninhabited, and construction has been stalled for years.
2. Can you visit Burj Al Babas?
Yes, but it’s not an official tourist site. Visitors and urban explorers have ventured in, but access may be restricted in the future.
3. Will the project ever be completed?
The fate of Burj Al Babas is uncertain. Legal and financial battles continue, and there’s no clear timeline for completion.
4. Why was the project built in Mudurnu?
The developers targeted wealthy Gulf tourists who were drawn to the region’s thermal springs and scenic beauty.
5. Could Burj Al Babas be turned into a theme park?
Some speculate that it could be repurposed as a tourist attraction, but no official plans exist.
