Turkey's abandoned villa heritage spans four centuries of imperial and cosmopolitan wealth — Ottoman yalı summer palaces on the Bosphorus, Belle Époque casino-hotels turned orphanages on the Princes' Islands, 1920s Greek merchant villas emptied by the population exchange and modern luxury castle developments abandoned when bankruptcy struck. The Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage is a 20,000-square-metre wooden building on Büyükada, considered the largest wooden building in Europe — designed in 1898 as a luxury hotel for the Orient Express company, it never opened. Abandoned since 1964 and listed by Europa Nostra as one of Europe's most endangered heritage sites. Discover the 5 best abandoned villas in Turkey, selected from our Turkey Urbex Map — 200+ verified GPS locations across Turkey and Cyprus.
Why Turkey Has the Most Varied Abandoned Villa Heritage in the Eastern Mediterranean
Four distinct waves of villa abandonment have produced Turkey's extraordinary range: the Belle Époque cosmopolitan era (1890s–1920s) that built the Prinkipo Orphanage and the Bosphorus yalılar; the 1923 population exchange that emptied Greek merchant villas across the Aegean and Marmara; the post-Ottoman republican transition that stripped Ottoman aristocratic estates of their owners; and the modern era that produced Burj Al Babas — 583 castle chateaux abandoned when a Dubai property developer went bankrupt. No other country concentrates so many distinct historical causes of villa abandonment in the same landscape.
1. Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage – Büyükada, Princes' Islands — Largest Wooden Building in Europe, Built 1898, Orient Express Casino that Never Opened, Abandoned 1964, Europa Nostra Listed (Known Location)
The Prinkipo Greek Orphanage is a historic 20,000-square-metre wooden building on Büyükada, one of the nine Princes' Islands off the coast of Istanbul. It is considered the largest wooden building in Europe and second largest in the world. Designed in 1898 by French-Ottoman architect Alexander Vallaury as a luxury hotel for the Orient Express company, it never opened as a hotel when Sultan Abdul Hamid II refused to grant a gambling permit. Acquired in 1903 and donated to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, it operated as an orphanage until 1964. Since its closure half a century ago, the neglected building has deteriorated into a state of heavy disrepair — the building was severely damaged by a fire in 1980 and is classified as "Rescue Needed" by Global Heritage Network. Accessible by ferry from Istanbul (90 minutes); the exterior and grounds are visible over the boundary fence.
🔗 Sources: Wikipedia – Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage | Atlas Obscura – Prinkipo Orphanage
2. Burj Al Babas – Mudurnu, Bolu Province — 583 Abandoned Castle-Like Chateaux, $200 Million Investment Abandoned 2019, Ghost Town Half Between Istanbul & Ankara (Known Location)
In the hilly woodlands of northwestern Turkey, in Bolu Province, halfway between Istanbul and Ankara, sits an otherworldly sight: Burj Al Babas, the world's most epic ghost town — right next to the historical town of Mudurnu, there are rows upon rows of turreted chateaux. The only residents are a few stray dogs and cats. The Sarot Group had the idea to construct 732 castles, plus a shopping and entertainment centre and Turkish baths from natural hot springs. Construction began in 2014, and they managed to more or less complete 583 castles at a cost of $200 million before economic disaster struck. The project was abandoned in 2019. Each identical turret rises from the pine-forested valley in rows extending to the horizon — a fairy tale ghost town that Atlas Obscura calls "part ghost town, part fairy tale."
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Abandoned Places in Turkey →
3. Abandoned Ottoman Yalı – Bosphorus Shore, Istanbul — 18th/19th-Century Waterfront Mansion, Ottoman Summer Residence, Structural Decay, Bosphorus Setting
Along the Bosphorus shoreline between Istanbul's Asian and European banks, Ottoman yalı summer residences — large wooden waterfront mansions built for wealthy Ottoman families — stand in various states of dereliction between the active luxury properties that have been restored. The Ottoman yalı tradition produced some of the most extraordinary wooden waterfront architecture in the world: elaborately carved facades, projecting upper stories over the water, private jetties and the specific Ottoman domestic aesthetic of a summer imperial culture. Several have been abandoned for decades, their wooden structures in advanced decay, their Bosphorus settings unchanged. The Istanbul History of Science and Technology in Islam Museum source identifies the Şerif Paşa Mansion in Bağlarbaşı as one of the surviving great wooden mansions. GPS in our Turkey Urbex Map.
4. Abandoned 1923 Exchange Greek Merchant Villa – Aegean or Marmara Coast — Greek Orthodox Merchant Architecture, 1923 Departure, Shuttered Windows, Mediterranean Garden Overgrown (Exclusively on Our Map)
The 1923 Lausanne Convention's population exchange emptied Turkish Aegean and Marmara coastal towns of their Greek Orthodox merchant communities within months — leaving behind substantial stone and stucco villas whose owners departed for Greece and never returned. Several of these 1923 exchange villas stand in various states of abandonment across Turkish Aegean towns: the neoclassical facades and Venetian-influenced window details of prosperous Greek merchant architecture, shuttered windows, Mediterranean gardens overgrown with olive and fig trees and the specific atmosphere of wealth abandoned in a single political moment. GPS in our Turkey Urbex Map.
5. Derelict Art Nouveau or Belle Époque Villa – Istanbul or Izmir — Late Ottoman Cosmopolitan Architecture, 20th-Century Abandonment, Ornamental Facade Surviving (Off the Radar — Our Map Only)
In the late Ottoman decades, Istanbul and Izmir developed a cosmopolitan architectural culture of Belle Époque and Art Nouveau villas built for the empire's Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Levantine merchant communities. Many of these late-19th and early-20th century villas — ornate stucco facades, cast-iron balconies, elaborate carved window surrounds — stand in various states of abandonment in the historic districts of Istanbul (Beyoğlu, Fener, Balat) and Izmir. The specific late-Ottoman cosmopolitan aesthetic, the demographic collapse of these communities in the 20th century and the urban regeneration pressures on their buildings create a form of architectural abandonment urgently in need of documentation. Find them on our Turkey Urbex Map.
Safety Tips
- Prinkipo fence: the orphanage fence is serious — the building is described as "legitimately at risk of collapse" by heritage authorities; exterior photography only
- Ottoman wooden structures: fire-damaged and water-compromised wooden buildings (yalılar, Ottoman mansions) can have floor structures that give no warning before failure — step carefully and never enter upper floors alone
- Burj Al Babas: the castle structures were built but not fully fitted — internal staircases may have no railings; assess before ascending
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person and share your location
❓ FAQ
What is the most famous abandoned villa in Turkey?
The Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage on Büyükada — the largest wooden building in Europe, built in 1898 as an Orient Express luxury casino hotel, converted to an orphanage in 1903 and abandoned since 1964. Listed by Europa Nostra as one of Europe's seven most endangered heritage sites. For pure spectacle, Burj Al Babas — 583 identical abandoned castle chateaux in a pine forest — is the most visually extraordinary.
Can I visit Burj Al Babas?
Yes — Burj Al Babas is accessible from the town of Mudurnu in Bolu Province, approximately 200km from Istanbul. The site is largely accessible by road and the castle streets can be driven and walked. The project bankruptcy means there is no active management or security beyond occasional construction workers. Our Turkey Urbex Map includes GPS coordinates for the main entrance and the most photographically rewarding areas within the development.
How do I get to the Prinkipo Orphanage?
Ferry from Kabataş terminal in Istanbul to Büyükada (approximately 90 minutes, multiple daily sailings). From the Büyükada ferry terminal, walk or rent a bicycle (motor vehicles are banned on the Princes' Islands) approximately 1.6km south to the orphanage. The building is on a hilltop above the pine forest and visible from the town below.
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