Few countries carry as many layers of forced departure as Turkey — a century of population exchanges, earthquakes, dam floods and failed development projects has left an extraordinary patchwork of deserted places across Anatolia and the Aegean coast. Kayaköy, in southwestern Turkey's Muğla Province, is a true ghost town — abandoned by its occupants and haunted by the past. A monument, frozen in time, a physical reminder of darker times in Turkey. With hillsides dotted by countless crumbling buildings slowly being swallowed by greenery, and endless views into vanished lives, it's also a fascinating and starkly beautiful place to visit. Further north, Burj Al Babas offers something entirely different — 583 castle chateaux rising from a pine forest, completed at a cost of $200 million and abandoned when bankruptcy struck in 2019. Discover the 5 best ghost towns in Turkey, selected from our Turkey Urbex Map — 200+ verified GPS locations across Turkey and Cyprus.
Why Turkey Is One of the Richest Countries in the World for Ghost Town Exploration
Three distinct historical forces have created Turkey's ghost town landscape — the 1923 Lausanne population exchange that emptied entire Greek Orthodox communities in weeks; a string of major earthquakes that rendered settlements uninhabitable; and the submersion of ancient cities by dam reservoirs in the 20th century. Layered over these historical forces is the more recent phenomenon of over-ambitious property developments that collapsed into bankruptcy, adding a surreal modern dimension to the country's abandoned settlement heritage.
1. Kayaköy (Levissi) – Muğla Province, Near Fethiye — 10,000 Greek Orthodox Residents Departed 1923, 2,500 Stone Houses Remaining, Churches Intact, Earthquake-Damaged 1957 (Known Location)
Just over a century ago, Kayaköy was a bustling town of at least 10,000 Greek Orthodox Christians, many of whom were craftspeople who lived peacefully alongside the region's Muslim Turkish farmers. But in the upheaval surrounding Turkey's emergence as an independent republic, their simple lives were torn apart. The newly arrived Turkish settlers from Greece reportedly disliked the site — some say because the house walls were painted blue, supposedly to ward off scorpions — and quickly moved on, leaving Kayaköy to deteriorate. A 1957 earthquake further damaged the remaining structures. Snatches of that blue color can still be seen on the surviving walls of the 2,500 or so houses that make up Kayaköy, although few other decorative touches remain after decades left to the elements.
🔗 Sources: CNN – The Ghost Town That Has Stood Empty for More Than a Century | Twirl The Globe – The Ghost Village of Kayaköy
2. Burj Al Babas – Mudurnu, Bolu Province — 583 Identical Castle Chateaux Completed, $200 Million Investment, Bankrupt 2019, Pine Forest Setting Between Istanbul & Ankara (Known Location)
In the hilly woodlands of northwestern Turkey, in Bolu Province, halfway between Istanbul and Ankara, sits Burj Al Babas — row upon row of turreted chateaux, the only residents a few stray dogs and cats. The Sarot Group envisioned 732 castle-like holiday homes for Gulf investors, complete with thermal baths and a shopping centre. Construction began in 2014; by 2019 the company filed for bankruptcy with 583 structures more or less complete at a cost of $200 million. Burj Al Babas has since become a different kind of tourist draw — a curious stop for those who come to see historic Mudurnu. Easily reached from Istanbul as a day trip; the site is freely walkable.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Abandoned Places in Turkey →
3. Hasankeyf – Batman Province, Southeast Turkey — One of the World's Oldest Continuously Inhabited Cities, Partially Submerged by Ilısu Dam 2020, Cave Dwellings & Ruins Above Waterline
Hasankeyf sits at a haunting intersection of archaeology and political controversy — a city inhabited for at least 10,000 years, home to Assyrian, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Seljuk and Ottoman layers of settlement, now partially submerged beneath the reservoir of the Ilısu Dam completed in 2020. While Turkish authorities relocated key monuments before flooding, the lower city and many cave dwellings carved into the Tigris valley cliffs are now under water. What remains above the waterline — the 12th-century Zeynel Bey Tomb, the citadel and the cliff-face cave network — creates a ghost town experience of unusual melancholy: a living city drowned by political decision within living memory. GPS in our Turkey Urbex Map.
4. Abandoned 1923 Exchange Village – Aegean or Marmara Region — Greek Orthodox Settlement Emptied Overnight, Stone Houses, Orthodox Chapel, Overgrown Streets (Exclusively on Our Map)
Beyond the well-known Kayaköy, dozens of smaller Greek Orthodox villages across the Turkish Aegean and Marmara were emptied by the same 1923 population exchange and never resettled. Several of these forgotten settlements — stone-built houses with carved lintels, Orthodox chapels with faded fresco traces and village wells long run dry — exist in various states of collapse across the Turkish countryside, largely absent from tourist maps. The absence of visitors, the intact village morphology and the specific atmosphere of a community that departed in a single week create a profoundly different experience from the managed heritage of Kayaköy. GPS in our Turkey Urbex Map.
5. Earthquake-Abandoned Anatolian Village – Central or Eastern Turkey — Post-Seismic Evacuation, Cracked Walls, Roofless Stone Houses, Plateau Setting (Off the Radar — Our Map Only)
Turkey sits on one of the world's most active seismic zones — the intersection of the Eurasian, African and Arabian tectonic plates. Major earthquakes have periodically forced entire villages to relocate; the abandoned shells of their former settlements dot the Anatolian landscape. Several of these post-earthquake deserted settlements across central and eastern Turkey retain remarkable structural detail — cracked but standing walls, collapsed roof timbers still in place and the specific desolation of a community that left not by political force but by geological catastrophe. Find them on our Turkey Urbex Map.
Safety Tips
- Earthquake-damaged structures: cracked walls in post-seismic abandoned villages can fail without warning — never enter buildings with visible structural damage to load-bearing walls
- Eastern Turkey security: always check current travel advisories before visiting Hasankeyf and the Batman Province region
- Summer heat: Kayaköy and the Aegean ghost villages reach 40°C+ in July–August — visit at dawn and carry substantial water
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person and share your location before departing
The urbex code: "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."
❓ FAQ
What is the most famous ghost town in Turkey?
Kayaköy in southwestern Turkey's Muğla Province — home to 10,000 Greek Orthodox Christians until the 1923 population exchange emptied it in weeks. With 2,500 surviving stone houses and intact churches spread across a hillside above the Aegean coast near Fethiye, it is easily Turkey's best-known and most visited deserted settlement. For sheer visual spectacle, Burj Al Babas — 583 castle chateaux abandoned in a pine forest — is unlike anything else on earth.
Can you visit Kayaköy?
Yes — Kayaköy is an official heritage site managed by the Turkish Ministry of Culture. A small admission fee applies at the entrance. The site is open daily from approximately 8:30am to sunset. The village is 8km from Fethiye and accessible by dolmuş, taxi or on foot from the surrounding hiking trails including the Lycian Way.
Is Hasankeyf still accessible?
Yes — the above-water sections of Hasankeyf, including the citadel, the Zeynel Bey Tomb and the cliff-face cave network, remain accessible to visitors. The old town centre and lower city are submerged beneath the Ilısu Dam reservoir. Reaching Hasankeyf requires travelling to Batman Province in southeast Turkey — check current travel advisories for the region before planning your visit.
Turkey Urbex Map
- ✓ 200+ verified GPS locations — Turkey & Cyprus
- ✓ Ghost towns, 1923 exchange villages and submerged cities
- ✓ Instant access after purchase
- ✓ Free updates forever
9,99€
Explore All 200+ Locations →
