Burj Al Babas
Burj Al Babas is an abandoned residential development located near Mudurnu, Turkey[1] with 732 nearly identical houses, each designed to resemble a miniature château.[2] The site, under development by the Sarot Group, was abandoned in 2019 after the developers filed for bankruptcy with a debt of $5 million.[1]
Original concept[edit]
Burj Al Babas is a housing development project owned by Istanbul construction entrepreneurs The Yerdelen brothers.[2] The project involved the construction of 732 three-story luxury villas, all very similar to each other and characterised by elements of Gothic, English and American architecture. Meanwhile, the cylindrical towers with dormer windows and the square towers with balustrades were inspired in particular by the Galata Tower in Istanbul, built in the late Middle Ages by the Genoese, and by the so-called Maiden's Tower, located on an island in the Bosphorus Strait, a few hundred metres from the city.[3]
According to the original brochure, the centre of the complex was to include a domed structure containing a shopping centre, health and beauty facilities such as Turkish baths, a mosque, a movie theatre, and other facilities open to residents.[4]
The houses were on sale for between $370,000 and $530,000.[1]
Aiming for the Arab market, the partners named the development the Burj Al Babas Thermal Tourism Company and began marketing the houses through their real estate agency in Kuwait.[2]
The site in the Black Sea region of Turkey was situated near the region's hot springs. Excavations on the site revealed that 200 meters underground, the water temperature reached 68 degrees Celsius or 154 degrees Fahrenheit.[2]
Complications[edit]
Construction began on the complex in 2014.[5] Using 2,500 workers, the developers aimed to finish the project in four years.[2] The development was originally successful with approximately half of the castles selling in advance.
In 2018 sales eventually stalled, causing the developer to enter bankruptcy.[1] Falling oil prices and instability in Turkey were cited as reasons for the slump in sales. The mayor of Mudurnu, Mehmet İnegöl, remained confident that the project would begin again.[2]
As of 2021, however, 587 of the planned 732 homes were started, with very few reaching the landscaping phase. None were finished. [citation needed]
In popular culture[edit]
Burj Al Babas is the setting for the music video of "Lose Control", a 2019 song by Meduza, Becky Hill and Goodboys.[6][7][8]
The music video of "Bad girls, good vibes" by German rapper Ufo361 was filmed in this location.
The music video for "Sober" by French electronic musician SebastiAn was partially shot in Burj Al Babas.
Gaspard Augé, also a French electronic musician, shot two music videos for "Belladone" and the title track from his 2021 album Escapades in Burj Al Babas.
The rapper Quadeca used this location in the music video for the song "Fractions of Infinity" featuring Sunday Service Choir.
The YouTube channel STORROR filmed an episode of Hide and Seek in Burj Al Babas in 2023.[9]
It is featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Koc, Cagan (26 November 2018). "Builder of $200 Million Turkish Chateaux Project Goes Bankrupt". Bloomberg. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Gall, Carlotta (3 March 2019). "Want a Castle in Turkey? You May Find a Bargain". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "La città dei castelli fantasma in Turchia". Il Post (in Italian). 2021-07-01. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
- ^ Burj Al Babas Catalogue
- ^ Ravenscroft, Tom (18 January 2019). "Drone footage reveals hundreds of abandoned Turkish chateaux". Dezeen. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ Totaro, Romina (February 28, 2020). "The new life of Burj al Babas". Domus. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- ^ KRONOS (October 29, 2019). "Mudurnu'nun şatoları klip seti oldu". Kronos News. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- ^ Smoak, Audrey (December 21, 2019). "Lose Control". The Era Of EDM. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4LDFa0DqlQ&ab_channel=STORROR
- ^ "The Deserted Kingdom of Burj al Babas". www.ripleys.com. Ripley's Believe It or Not!. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.