Turkey has one of the most geographically vast and historically layered urbex landscapes on earth — a country spanning 780,000 square kilometers where Byzantine cave churches abandoned in 1923, the world's most extraordinary ghost-town housing development and an Ottoman orphanage on a Princes' Island all coexist with the ruins of nine-civilization ancient cities. Atlas Obscura lists Ani — the medieval Armenian capital abandoned for centuries on the eastern border — as a site "home to nine civilizations, soon to be buried under 200 feet of water." And Burj Al Babas, halfway between Istanbul and Ankara, is Atlas Obscura's "world's most epic ghost town": 583 castle-like chateaux built for Gulf investors, abandoned in 2019. This guide covers Turkey's best urbex zones and explains how our Turkey Urbex Map — 200+ GPS locations — covers them all.
Zone 1: Istanbul & the Princes' Islands — Ottoman Heritage, Industrial Ruins, Belle Époque Decay
Best for: Ottoman wooden mansions, Belle Époque architectural ruins, industrial heritage, Bosphorus setting.
Istanbul concentrates Turkey's most architecturally varied urbex in a single metropolitan area. On Büyükada — 90 minutes by ferry — the Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage rises from a hilltop above the pine forest: A 20,000-square-meter wooden building considered the largest wooden building in Europe, designed in 1898 as a luxury hotel and casino for the Orient Express company, which never opened due to the Sultan's religious objections. Abandoned since 1964, listed by Europa Nostra as one of Europe's most endangered heritage sites. On the Bosphorus, derelict Ottoman yalı mansions in various states of structural collapse stand between active luxury properties. In the city itself, the Haydarpaşa railway station and various industrial complexes add further layers.
Zone 2: Cappadocia & Central Anatolia — Cave Churches, Underground Cities, Abandoned Villages
Best for: Byzantine cave church exploration, underground cities, fairy chimney abandoned settlements, 1923 exchange villages.
Cappadocia is Turkey's most extraordinary abandoned landscape — 3,000 years of human habitation carved into volcanic tuff, culminating in Byzantine cave church complexes abandoned when the 1923 Greek-Turkish population exchange removed the region's Christian population. In the quaint village of Çavuşin, dozens of abandoned houses and churches remain carved into the hillside and are open for exploration. The Zelve Open Air Museum preserves an entire abandoned troglodyte town. And beyond the tourist circuit, the valleys — Zemi, Meskendir, Soğanlı — contain cave churches accessible only on foot, their frescoes still intact.
Zone 3: Northwest Turkey — Burj Al Babas & the Ghost Castle Town
Best for: the world's most surreal modern ghost town, Ottoman heritage of Mudurnu, Black Sea industrial heritage.
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 — row upon row of turreted chateaux, the only residents a few stray dogs and cats. The Sarot Group began construction in 2014, managed to complete 583 of the planned 732 castles at a cost of $200 million, and abandoned the project in 2019 when the company filed for bankruptcy. Located minutes from the historic Ottoman town of Mudurnu, Burj Al Babas is the most visually extraordinary modern abandoned site in Turkey — and one of the easiest to reach from Istanbul.
Zone 4: Aegean & Mediterranean Coast — Greek Exchange Villages, Coastal Resort Ruins
Best for: 1923 population exchange abandoned villages, derelict coastal resorts, Ottoman Greek architectural heritage.
The 1923 Lausanne Convention that exchanged approximately 1.5 million Greeks from Turkey for 500,000 Muslims from Greece emptied hundreds of villages along Turkey's Aegean and Mediterranean coast in a matter of weeks. Several of these abandoned Greek Orthodox villages stand in various states of dereliction across the Turkish Aegean landscape — stone churches, stone houses, village squares with no inhabitants and the extraordinary contrast of Byzantine heritage in a Muslim landscape.
Zone 5: Eastern Turkey — Ancient Abandoned Cities, Armenian Heritage, Military Ruins
Best for: ancient and medieval abandoned cities, Armenian church ruins, remote landscape urbex.
Eastern Turkey holds some of the most historically significant abandoned urban landscapes on earth. Ani — the medieval Armenian capital on the Kars plain — was home to nine civilisations and at its peak had a population rivalling Constantinople, before being abandoned and deteriorating for centuries. Hasankeyf, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, has been partially submerged by the Ilısu Dam reservoir. Both represent catastrophic abandonment at civilisational scale.
Best Time of Year for Urbex in Turkey
| Season | Conditions | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (Apr–May) | Mild, low vegetation, long days | Cappadocia valleys, eastern Turkey, Aegean coast |
| Autumn (Sep–Oct) | Excellent light, cooler, low vegetation | Best overall — all zones, extraordinary light quality |
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | Snow in Cappadocia and east, Istanbul mild | Istanbul and Princes' Islands; Cappadocia snow is extraordinary |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | Extreme heat (40°C+), dense coastal vegetation | Underground sites (cave cities, Cappadocia) unaffected by heat |
❓ FAQ
Is Turkey good for urbex?
Exceptionally so — and significantly underexplored by the international urbex community relative to its extraordinary historical density. No other country combines Byzantine cave churches, Ottoman imperial ruins, a modern castle ghost town, Armenian medieval city ruins and 1923 population exchange villages in the same landscape.
Do I need a visa for Turkey?
EU, UK and most Western passport holders require an e-Visa for Turkey (available at evisa.gov.tr, approximately $50–60). Some nationalities can enter visa-free — check current requirements before travelling. Turkey is not an EU member state.
Is Turkey safe for urban exploration?
Turkey is generally safe for travel. Specific urbex risks vary by region — eastern Turkey near the Syrian and Iraqi borders requires careful planning and current security checks; the Cappadocia valley cave sites have no security concerns; Istanbul's abandoned buildings carry standard structural risks. Always check Foreign Ministry travel advisories for eastern Turkey before visiting.
Turkey Urbex Map
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