Cities lost in time... It is about them that legends and songs are made, written fantasy stories and famous films are made. The veil of mystery associated with the past deprives us of peace and forces us to listen amazing stories about disappeared cities...
1
The city was located on the territory of modern Sevastopol, in Crimea. “Ruins of Chersonesos” is a very famous and attractive place for many tourists. There you can touch ancient buildings, see the famous mint and an amphitheater, admire ancient amphorae and just relax on the Black Sea coast, not far from the ancient city. The ruins of this city, as a valuable historical property, are depicted on one of the Ukrainian banknotes.
2
The story that happened to this city is very sad. Due to the close location of Pompeii to Vesuvius, the city was buried under a layer of hot ash during the next volcanic eruption. Centuries have passed since then, and only seventeen centuries later, people again remembered this ancient city. The reason for this was the find discovered. When digging a well, at a depth of seven meters, the remains were found ancient city…
3
This city was considered a “Homeric fiction” until 1871. However, thanks to the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who began excavations of the Hissarlik Hill, huge defensive walls, similar to those described by Homer. Troy was founded around 3000 BC. Since then, the city has been repeatedly destroyed, and a new city was built on the site of the previous one. Last fall Troy occurred around 1260 BC. e. Moreover, the thickness of the walls surrounding the city was six meters, and could easily withstand any weapon of that time. An interesting fact. Famous Trojan horse really existed, since only in this way could the enemy get inside this well-fenced fortress.
4
The history of Petra was directly related to the spice trade. The city arose at the turn of the first century new era. The reason for its end was an earthquake, which destroyed the water supply systems vital for the city. And if we add to this the discovery by the Romans sea routes to the East, it is easy to guess that Vital energy the city gradually faded away. Now Petra is just one of the places lost in time. But despite this, visiting it is one of the most popular in the Middle East.
“True Aryan” - that’s what they called themselves German Nazis. And the same arias caused the disappearance of a city located in the Indus Valley from the face of the earth. Mohenjo-Daro was located in what is now Pakistan and was the center of culture and crafts in South Asia. This is the first city in human history where they were discovered public toilets. The remains of the city were found in 1922, that is, 3,622 years later.
6
Former capital. Located in Peru. Among the names given to this city, there is one translated as “city among the clouds.” This is due to the fact that Machu Picchu is located at an altitude of 2450 meters above sea level. There are two versions about the role of this city in the life of the Incas. According to the first, the city was built as a transition from earth to heaven, and the people who inhabited it were considered to have “seen God.” According to another version, the emergence of the city was associated with the colonization policy of the Spaniards. That is, the builders of this city were the Incas who fled from the Spaniards. The remains of the city were discovered only in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, who was an employee of Yale University.
7
The city is located in North Africa, in the territory of modern Algeria. It once belonged to the Great Roman Empire. Emperor Troyan is considered the founder of this city. The city was created as an outpost, whose task was to repel attacks by Berber nomads. Initially designed for 15 thousand people, it gradually grew into a metropolis. After the attack and plunder of the city in the 7th century, life in it ceased. The city was rediscovered only in 1881.
8
An ancient city of the Mayan civilization. Once upon a time it was the main city of the Mutul kingdom. According to scattered data, the population ranged from one hundred to two thousand people. Translated from the Mayan language, “Tikal” means “place where the voices of spirits are heard.” In the city center there were six step pyramids, at the very top of which there were temples. The city was abandoned towards the end of the 10th century and was rediscovered in 1848. This was the largest archaeological find New World.
9
A city that belonged to the long-vanished Minoan civilization. Minoans were the people who lived on Crete and considered themselves descendants legendary Minos. The settlement was lost to people after it happened powerful earthquake, and then a volcanic eruption. During excavations in 1967, it was found that the population had left the city in advance, so no victims of the eruption were found.
10
Currently, Pavlopetri is considered the most ancient city human civilization. This is a city that existed from the Stone Age until 1000 BC. Now it is under a layer of sand and earth at a depth of four meters. It was discovered in 1968 by Nicholas Fleming. According to experts, the territory occupied by the city was 9 thousand m2. The city was an important link in communication between the mainland and the island of Crete. The city was flooded as a result of an earthquake and changes in sea level. Thanks to painstaking work archaeologists, we can hope that after some time, the world will learn about the existence of even more ancient cities, and with them - about the secrets that accompanied them!!!
On our planet there are a huge number of ghost towns, empty and creepy, frightening a traveler who accidentally wanders here with the empty eye sockets of the windows of rickety buildings...
In this ranking we will present the 10 most famous abandoned cities, abandoned by people By various reasons: some were abandoned due to bloody wars, others were abandoned under the onslaught of almighty nature.
1. Buried in the sands of the city of Kolmanskop (Namibia)
Kolmanskop
Kolmanskop - an abandoned city in southern Namibia, located a few kilometers from the port of Lüderitz.
In 1908, railway company employee Zakaris Leval discovered small diamonds in the sand. This discovery caused a real diamond rush and thousands of people flocked to the hot sands of the Namib Desert, hoping to make a fortune.
Kolmanskop was built in record time. It took people only two years to erect beautiful German-style residential buildings in the desert, build a school, a hospital, and even a casino. But the days of the city's existence were already numbered.
After the end of the First World War, the value of diamonds on the world market fell, and every year the extraction of precious stones in the Kolmanskop mines became worse. Absence drinking water And constant struggle With sand dunes, made the life of the people of the mining town more and more unbearable.
In the 1950s, Kolmanskop was abandoned last inhabitants and it turned into another ghost town on the world map. Soon nature and the desert almost completely buried the town under sand dunes. Several other old houses and the theater building remained unburied, which is still in good condition.
2. The city of nuclear scientists Pripyat (Ukraine)
Pripyat is an abandoned city in the “exclusion zone” in northern Ukraine. Workers and scientists lived here Chernobyl nuclear power plant, until the tragic day - April 26, 1986. On this day, the explosion of the 4th power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant put an end to the further existence of the city.
On April 27, the evacuation of people from Pripyat began. Nuclear workers and their families were allowed to take with them only the most necessary things and documents; people left all the property acquired over the years in their abandoned apartments. Over time, Pripyat turned into a ghost town, visited only by extreme sports and thrill-seekers.
For those who want to see and appreciate the full scale of the disaster, the Pripyat-Tour company provides excursions to the abandoned city. Due to the high level of radiation, you can safely stay here for no more than a few hours, and most likely, Pripyat will remain a dead city forever.
3. Futuristic resort city of San Zhi (Taiwan)
In the north of Taiwan, near the capital city states Taipei is home to the ghost town of San Zhi. According to the developers, buying these houses should have been very wealthy people, because the architecture of the buildings itself, made in a futuristic style, was so unusual and revolutionary that it should have attracted big number rich customers.
But during the construction of the city, inexplicable accidents began to occur here and every week there were more and more of them, until the deaths of workers began to happen every day. Rumor quickly spread the news about the bad city, which had a very bad effect on the city's reputation for the rich.
The construction was finally completed and even a grand opening was held, but none of the potential clients bought a home here. Massive advertising campaigns and huge discounts did not help, San Zhi became a new ghost town. Now access here is prohibited, and local residents believe that the city is inhabited by the ghosts of people who died here.
4. Medieval city of Craco (Italy)
About forty kilometers from the Gulf of Taranto in Italy, there is an abandoned old City Krako. Situated on picturesque hills, it was the patrimony of farmers and plowmen, its inhabitants were engaged in agriculture, grew wheat and other grain crops.
The first mention of the city dates back to 1060, when all the land was owned by the Catholic Archbishop Arnaldo.
In 1981, the population of Craco was just over 2,000 people, and since 1982, due to poor harvests, landslides and constant collapses, the town's population began to decline rapidly. Between 1892 and 1922, more than 1,300 people left Craco. Some left to seek happiness in America, others settled in neighboring cities and villages.
The city was finally abandoned after strong earthquake 1963, only a few residents remained to while away their lives in the new ghost town. By the way, it was here that Mel Gibson filmed the scene of the execution of Judas for his masterpiece film “The Passion of the Christ.”
5. The village of Oradour-sur-Glane (France) - a memorial reminiscent of the horrors of fascism
The small ruined village of Oradour-sur-Glane in France stands as a reminder of the monstrous atrocities of the Nazis. During World War II, 642 village residents were brutally murdered by the Nazis as punishment for the capture of SS Sturmbannführer Helmut Kampf by French resistance fighters.
According to one version, the Nazis simply confused villages with similar names.
The high-ranking fascist was in captivity in the neighboring village of Oradour-sur-Vaires. The Germans did not spare anyone - neither the elderly, nor women, nor children... They drove the men to barns, where they targeted their legs with machine guns, then doused them with a flammable mixture and set them on fire.
Women, children and the elderly were locked in the church, then a powerful incendiary device was detonated. People tried to get out of the burning building, but they were mercilessly shot by German machine gunners. Then the Nazis completely destroyed the village.
6. Forbidden Island Gankanjima (Japan)
Gankanjima Island is one of the 505 uninhabited islands in Nagasaki Prefecture, and is located just 15 km from Nagasaki itself. It is also called battleship island because of the walls that protect the city from the sea. The history of settlement of the island began in 1890, when coal was discovered here. The Mitsubishi company bought the entire territory and began implementing a project to extract coal from the bottom of the sea.
In 1916, the first large concrete building was built on the island, and then buildings began to grow like mushrooms after rain. And in 1959, the population of the island had grown so much that 835 people lived here on one hectare! This was a world record for population density.
In the early 1960s, oil in Japan increasingly began to replace coal in production, and its production became unprofitable. Coal mines began to close across the country, and the Gankandjima mines were no exception.
In 1974, Mitsubishi officially announced the closure of the mines and the cessation of all activities on the island. Gankanjima has become another abandoned ghost town. Currently, visiting the island is prohibited, and in 2003, the famous Japanese action film “Battle Royale” was filmed here.
7. Kadykchan - a village in the Magadan region
Kadykchan is an urban-type settlement, located in the Susumansky district of the Magadan region. One of the most famous abandoned northern villages on the Internet. In 1986, according to the census, 10,270 people lived here, and in 2002 - only 875. In Soviet time coal was mined here highest quality, which heated almost 2/3 of the Magadan region.
The population of Kadykchan began to rapidly decrease after a mine explosion in 1996. A few years later, the only boiler house heating the village defrosted, and it became simply impossible to live here.
Now it is just a ghost town, one of many in Russia. There are rusty cars in the garages, destroyed furniture, books and children's toys in the rooms. Finally, leaving the dying village, the residents shot the bust of V.I. Lenin installed in the square.
8. The walled city of Kowloon (Hong Kong) - a city of lawlessness and anarchy
One of the most incredible ghost towns, now no longer existing, is the city of Kowloon, which was located near the former Kai Tak Airport, a city where all the vices and base passions of humanity were embodied. In the 1980s, more than 50,000 people lived here.
There was probably no other place on the planet where prostitution, drug addiction, gambling and underground workshops were widespread.
It was practically impossible to take a step here without bumping into a drug addict pumped up on dope, or a prostitute offering her services for a pittance. The Hong Kong authorities practically did not govern the city; here was the most high level crime in the country.
Eventually, in 1993, Kowloon's entire population was evicted and it briefly became a ghost town. The incredible and creepy settlement was then demolished, and in its place a park of the same name was laid out.
9. Abandoned ghost town of Varosha (Cyprus)
Varosha is a district of Famagusta, a city in Northern Cyprus founded in the 3rd century AD. Until 1974, Varosha was a real “Mecca” for beach lovers. Thousands of tourists from all over the world flocked here to bask in the gentle rays of the Cypriot sun. They say that the Germans and British made reservations in luxury hotels 20 years in advance!
The resort flourished, with new hotels and villas built up, until everything changed in 1974. That year, the Turks invaded Varosha with NATO support to protect the Turkish minority Cypriot population from being persecuted by ethnic Greeks.
Since then, the Varosha quarter has become a ghost town, surrounded by barbed wire, where the Turkish military has not allowed anyone to enter for four decades. The houses are dilapidated, the windows are broken and the streets of the once lively quarter are in widespread devastation. The apartments and shops are empty and completely looted, first by the Turkish military and then by local looters.
10. Lost city of Agdam (Azerbaijan)
Agdam is a city once famous for its wine throughout Soviet Union, from now on dead and uninhabited... The war in Nagorno-Karabakh, which lasted from 1990 to 1994, did not give the lowland city a chance to exist, where they used to make excellent cheese and make the best port wine in the Union.
The collapse of the USSR led to the outbreak of hostilities in many former republics.
Azerbaijan did not escape this either, whose warriors were able to seize wagons with rockets located near Agdam. They turned out to be very convenient to bomb the Armenian Stepanakert. Such actions ultimately led to a sad ending.
In the summer of 1993, Agdam was surrounded by 6,000 Liberation Army soldiers Nagorno-Karabakh. With the support of helicopters and tanks, the Armenians practically wiped out the hated city from the face of the earth, and carefully mined the approaches to it. Therefore, to this day, visiting the ghost town of Agdam is unsafe for life.
11 amazing dead cities past, causing inexhaustible interest among tourists
Angkor in Cambodia
The capital of the Khmer Empire, founded in the 9th century, was the largest pre-industrial city on Earth. Its population numbered a million people at a time when no more than fifty thousand lived in London, and Moscow was fortified with the first wooden structures. After the invasion of conquerors at the beginning of the 15th century, it was abandoned and swallowed up by the jungle, but to this day it has retained its main assets - beautiful temples, statues and bas-reliefs that delight even the most experienced travelers. To get acquainted with all the beauties of Angkor, you will need at least two days, and only a rented bicycle can help you out.
Petra in Jordan
The ancient capital of the Nabataean kingdom was carved right into the rocks and today is called one of the wonders of the world, as it is unlike any other place on earth. Thanks to the trade routes passing through it, it was richest city, but suffered in the 4th AD from an earthquake, then was plundered and destroyed by Arabs, crusaders and treasure hunters. But even today, the temples and tombs carved into multi-colored rocks amaze the imagination.
Palmyra in Syria
She was considered the most famous ancient city, turning from an oasis into an influential state and trying to compete with the Roman Empire. The Romans remained victorious, destroying Palmyra. From the remaining ruins today one can get an idea of its splendor and grandeur in an era of prosperity.
The "Lost City of the Incas" was built high in the mountains in the mid-15th century, but a hundred years later, when the Spaniards colonized South America, remained abandoned by its population. It has been preserved in its original form to this day, since the conquerors were unable to reach it. Machu Picchu has become the New Seventh Wonder of the World and is of great interest to tourists.
Sukhothai in Thailand
There are two cities with this name - living and dead. To avoid confusion, the latter is also called historical city Sukhothai. IN XII-XV centuries here was the capital of the kingdom of the same name, from where the lands on which almost all of present-day Thailand is located were administered. Numerous temples and a huge statue of a seated Buddha have remained intact to this day.
Once the capital of South India, it is now an abandoned city known to tourists in Goa as Hampi. They are keenly interested in unique temples, royal palace, huge statues preserved intact. This city is also magnificent for its surrounding landscape - giant mountains in the form of castles on the banks of the river.
Persepolis in Iran
The capital of the Achaemenid state was built by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century. Alexander the Great, who reached Persia with his army, destroyed it, and the hetaera Thais of Athens set it on fire. This led to its decline and emptiness. Today, its ancient power is reflected in the surviving ruins of palaces, huge columns, magnificent bas-reliefs and statues. Most of the valuable exhibits from Persepolis are kept in many museums around the world.
The founding date of this city is unknown; after its death, the Aztecs came here, and they gave it the name that still exists today. From the 3rd to the 6th century there was one of the most major centers trade and culture throughout the region, of which huge ruins remain a century later. Now in Teotihuacan you can admire the mighty pyramids, the remains of palaces, a huge square and well-ordered streets.
Pompeii in Italy
This city stands out among other dead cities in that it is not known for certain when it was founded, but the date of its death is precisely known - August 24, 79, on this day the Vesuvius volcano erupted. Since his destruction was quick and sudden, he to the greatest extent preserved from all cities of ancient times. From the furnishings of houses left under solidified lava, information about the structure of life and cultural life in the Roman Empire at that time. That's why this city is called a museum under open air with residential areas and fortifications, theaters, temples and, of course, the slumbering giant Vesuvius.
Bagan in Myanmar
Not very good for mine long life(XI - XIII centuries) The Pagan kingdom managed to leave a unique heritage. Its capital, the city of Pagan (today a “ghost city”) was destroyed by the Mongol Khan Khibulai with his army, and since then no restoration attempts have been made; it was abandoned by its inhabitants. To this day, an incredibly large number of Buddhist temples, monasteries, and pagodas have been preserved in this place (there are more than 5,000 of them). Now Bagan is a Buddhist Mecca for pilgrims and a source of inexhaustible interest for tourists.
Troy in Turkey
No one knows exactly how many lost cities there are on our planet. But those that archaeologists manage to discover invariably arouse great interest both among historians and ordinary lovers of everything unusual. Here are some of the largest lost cities.
(Total 20 photos)
1. Tikal, Guatemala
Tikal is one of the most big cities-states of the Mayan Indians. It was built back in the 7th century BC, and during its heyday its population reached 200 thousand people. The history of Tikal was full of dramatic moments, and after numerous wars and uprisings, people finally abandoned it. This happened at the end of the 10th century, and since then Tikal has remained a ghost town.
2. Ctesiphon, Iraq
In the period from the 2nd to the 7th centuries, Ctesiphon was the capital of first the Parthian kingdom and then the Sasanian one. The brick buildings of Ctesiphon that have survived to this day amaze the imagination with their splendor and size.
3. Great Zimbabwe
Big or Great Zimbabwe is the name given to the ruins of an ancient city located on the territory of the South African state of Zimbabwe. According to archaeologists, this city appeared in 1130 and for three centuries was considered the main shrine of the Shona people. About 18,000 people could simultaneously live behind the high stone walls of the city. Today the city walls represent one of the most amazing monuments of Great Zimbabwe. They are built without the use of any mortar, and their height reaches five meters.
4. Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan
Related to Indian civilization city with gloomy name Mohenjo-Daro (which translates as “Hill of the Dead”) appeared in the Indus Valley in modern Pakistan more than four and a half thousand years ago. He is a contemporary Egyptian pyramids and one of the first cities in South Asia. The city flourished for almost a thousand years, but eventually its inhabitants abandoned it. Archaeologists suggest that the Aryan invasion was to blame.
5. Bagerhat, Bangladesh
This city, located at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, was built in the 15th century. During its heyday, there were 360 mosques here. But after the death of the founder, Bagerhat fell into decay, and it was almost completely swallowed up by the jungle. Today, part of the city has been cleared, and excursions are held here for tourists.
6. National Park Mesa Verde, USA
IN national park Mesa Verde (Colorado) has many ruins of ancient cities that were built by the Anasazi Indians in the 6th-13th centuries. Most large building The park is home to the magnificent “Rock Palace,” which attracts more than 700 thousand tourists every year. The city was abandoned by its inhabitants around 1300. The reasons why people abandoned their homes are still unclear, but it has been suggested that the prolonged drought is to blame.
7. Vijayanagar, India
Vijayanagar was once the capital powerful empire, which occupied the entire south of the Indian subcontinent. Today, on the site of the City of Victory (as the name Vijayanagar is translated) is the village of Hampi. True, here today, in addition to the majestic ruins, there are also many active Hindu temples, including the famous Pampapathi temple, which is even older than Vijayanagara itself.
8. Ani city, Türkiye
Ani is the capital of the ancient Armenian kingdom standing on the territory modern Turkey. Once the population of this ancient city exceeded 100 thousand people, and due to the abundance of temples it was known as the city of 1001 churches. The ruins of many have survived to this day. Armenian churches XI-XIII centuries and the Seljuk palace. But all these monuments are in terrible condition - homeless people live in them, and careless tourists have picnics on their territory. The authorities do not show due attention to the protection of this historical monument.
9. Thebes, Egypt
The first human settlements in the territory of this city date back to 3200 BC. In 2000 B.C. About 40,000 people lived in Thebes, making it the most big city that time. The status of big city Thebes retained control of the world until 1000 BC. Even today, the ruins remaining from its former splendor are amazing. The most famous monuments Thebes is the temple of Luxor, the Temple of Karnak (which is the largest temple complex Ancient Egypt) and the tomb of Tutankhamun.
10. Carthage, Tunisia
Throughout its long history Carthage was the capital different states. At first it was a Phoenician state, which was also called Carthage. In 146 BC. both the state and the city were completely destroyed by the Romans, but pretty soon the Romans themselves rebuilt Carthage. After the fall of Rome, Carthage became the capital of the Vandal kingdom. The final fall The great city took place in the 7th century, when the city was destroyed by the Arabs. But still, many ruins, mainly from the Roman period, have survived to this day.
11. Persepolis, Iran
The founder of the magnificent city of Persepolis was Persian king Cyrus the Great. The city was founded around 560 BC. Over the centuries, the city changed hands, while maintaining its status as a capital and great city. But during Arab conquest Persepolis was completely reduced to ruins. The most famous monument of the city is huge palace Apadana.
12. Ephesus, Türkiye
It was in this city in the 6th century BC. The legendary Temple of Artemis was built, one of the seven wonders of the world. The city flourished as long as the sea was nearby. But when it retreated far from the city walls, trade gradually died out, and with it the magnificent city, leaving behind only ruins.
13. Palenque, Mexico
In the III-VIII centuries Palenque had great political and cultural significance for the Mayan civilization. Many magnificent stone buildings dating back to 600-800 have survived to this day, including the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Cross and the Temple of the Inscriptions. The city fell into disrepair long before Columbus arrived, probably as a result of tribal wars.
14. Pompeii and Herculaneum, Italy
The two died as a result of the volcanic eruption. the cities are probably some of the most famous disappeared cities. When on August 24, 79 AD. A catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius began, most of the inhabitants of Pompeii died suddenly, and then the city was completely buried under a multi-meter layer of volcanic ash. The residents of Herculaneum were luckier - many of them managed to leave the city before it disappeared under the hot ash.
15. Petra, Jordan
In ancient times, the city of Petra stood at the crossroads of important trade routes, which brought him untold wealth. But over time, the Romans mastered waterway, which greatly weakened overland trade. Gradually, the inhabitants abandoned the city, and it was swallowed up by the sands of the Arabian Desert. Today you can see perfectly preserved magnificent ancient buildings here.
16. Angkor, Cambodia
Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th centuries. Today it is one of the largest historical landmarks in the world. The area of this temple city exceeds 400 sq. km, and the magnificence of the sculptures of its Hindu temples is absolutely stunning.
17. Ciudad Perdida, Colombia
The name Ciudad Perdida is translated from Spanish as " lost city" This city is almost 700 years older than the famous Machu Picchu. In 1972, Ciudad Perdida was discovered by chance by local tomb robbers. When the trade in archaeological treasures from this city became widespread, the Colombian authorities finally became interested, and the city was discovered after a full-scale exploration. There are always going on in this area fighting between government troops and various armed groups, so tourists take quite a risk when going even along the officially proposed routes, which are guarded by the Colombian military. The road to Ciudad Perdida itself is also quite difficult and requires good physical preparation.
18. Machu Picchu, Peru
The ancient city of Machu Picchu received the title of New Wonder of the World in 2007. The city appeared around 1440 and flourished until the mysterious and sudden disappearance of all its inhabitants in 1532. The city escaped the attack of the conquistadors and destruction, but for some reason the inhabitants abandoned it.
19. Chichen Itza, Mexico
Chichen Itza is one of the largest cities of the Mayan civilization. It was founded in the 7th century, and in 1194 the inhabitants left it for unknown reasons. The Spanish conquerors destroyed a huge number of Mayan manuscripts, so archaeologists are unable to find out the real reason for the decline of the great city.
Today, crowds of tourists are drawn to the beautifully preserved pyramids and temples of Chichen Itza.
20. Xanadu, Mongolia
Xanadu is the summer residence of the legendary Mongol Khan Kublai Khan, better known in the West as Kubla Khan. In 1275 Marco Polo described this place as magnificent marble palace, decorated with gold. But only ruins have survived to this day.
In every country there are cities that were once full of life, but today there is not a soul in them. They were abandoned by people, either became extinct or became a consequence major disaster. Despite what experts say about the overpopulation of our planet, there are entire ghost towns with no population. Now, here in best case scenario, you can make post-apocalyptic or horror films.
Sanzhi Pod, Taiwan
The city of Sanzhi Pod was built in 1978 as a seaside resort for American officers, employees in Taiwan, and wealthy local residents. However, the almost completed resort was abandoned after the developer, the Hang Kuo Group, went bankrupt. Adding to the problems were a number of mysterious deaths that occurred here at the same time in the almost completed city, including several unexpected suicides among construction workers who showed no signs of depression. There were also several strange accidents at the construction site. the city was built on the site of an ancient Dutch cemetery, and some builders claimed to have seen ghosts here. It is not surprising that the city was eventually abandoned.
Chaiten, Chile
The Chilean town of Chaitén was virtually destroyed by a volcano that erupted in 2008. This was the first eruption in 9,000 years. The subsequent flood on the Blanco River completed the destruction. A year later, the Chilean government put forward a plan to revive Chaiten, first 10 kilometers to the north, then at its original location. However, the issue of reconstruction has not yet been resolved. While the deserted city continues to be destroyed by the elements.
Rhyolite, Nevada
The city of Rhyolite, located almost 200 kilometers from Las Vegas, was created by the gold rush. Founded in 1905, two years later the city of miners could already boast of having electricity, running water and railway station. But the gold quickly ran out, and in 1910 the mine was already operating at a loss. A year later it closed - and 10 years later, by 1925, there was not a single resident left in Rhyolite.
Dhanushkodi, India
The Indian city of Dhanushkodi was a popular ocean resort with white sandy beaches, where both Indian residents and foreign tourists came. However, on December 22, 1964, the city was completely destroyed by a powerful cyclone. The wind, blowing at a speed of 120 km/h, and 8-meter waves practically wiped the resort off the face of the Earth. More than 1,800 people died. The remaining residents were evacuated, and Janushkodi was soon officially declared a non-residential town, uninhabitable.
Kolmanskop, Namibia
The mining town of Kolmanskop was built in 1908 when diamonds were discovered in the Namib Desert. However, in the late 1940s, the field was completely depleted, and residents began to leave. The city was completely deserted in 1954, and the desert led to attacks on it. Now the houses are filled with sand, and tourists who have been to Kolmanskop claim that ghosts roam the city at night.
St. Elmo, Colorado
St. Elmo is one of America's best-preserved ghost towns. It was founded in 1880, and a few years later about 2,000 people lived here, mostly working in gold and silver mining. It had its own telegraph office, supermarket, five hotels and many saloons. However, gradually the mines began to deplete, and the miners began to disperse. In 1922, trains stopped stopping at St. Elmo, and soon there was not a single person left in the city. The city is considered a historical landmark, and although it is called a ghost town, a dozen people still live here, hosting tourists.
Centralia, Pennsylvania
On May 27, 1967, in the mining town of Centralia, an underground fire started in one of the coal mines. It was not possible to extinguish it - the flame spread underground through coal seams, went under city houses and streets, and increasingly broke out. Poisonous smoke escaped from cracks in the asphalt, and from time to time the ground unexpectedly collapsed on the roads, revealing fiery abysses. Residents began to leave in panic. Federal authorities spent $42 million to relocate the city's 1,000 residents. By the end of the 1980s, there were almost no people left in the city; about 500 houses were destroyed by fire. TO today in Centralia there were only a few residents left who refused to leave, despite the danger to health and life.
Kayakoy, Türkiye
The population of the Turkish village of Kayakoy, located on the Fethiye Peninsula, left their homes in one day. Local population, consisting exclusively of Greeks, went to Greece in its entirety as part of a population exchange program after the Greco-Turkish War. The stone buildings of the village, locked between the mountains and the sea, seem to be frozen in time. Today, the ruins of the village, dating back to the 18th century, are of interest not only to tourists, but also to archaeologists.
Pripyat, Ukraine
The young city of nuclear workers, built specifically for employees of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, was evacuated immediately after the explosion at the station. In total, 50 thousand people were evacuated. Later, liquidators lived here in shifts, but now on the streets of the city you can only see reckless stalkers and workers strengthening the sarcophagus. The latter are allowed to stay here only a few hours a month. According to scientists, this area will be uninhabitable for at least 20 thousand years.
Hashima Island, Japan
This legendary island appeared in one of the episodes of the James Bond film Skyfall. However, in reality it is impossible to walk around the island: visits here are officially prohibited. Meanwhile, in a small area, until April 1974, more than 5,000 people lived in servicing the local coal mine. In April 1974, the mine was closed and the population was removed from Hashima. Since then, only illegal immigrants-stalkers who love thrills come here.
Oradour-sur-Glane, France
In June 1944, German fascists killed the entire population of the small village of Oradour-sur-Glane - a total of 642 people, including 400 women and children. Today, the ruins of the village, left without inhabitants, remain a monument to the dead. And nearby, after the war, another village with the same name was rebuilt, where today there are about 2,000 inhabitants.
Varosha, Cyprus
Varosha is a Cypriot resort that has become part of closed area in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus. Varosha was part of the resort of Famagusta, a city within a city, where celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot vacationed. But since 1974, when they fled from here Greek population, the city is gradually being destroyed: only a few tourists - trespassers secretly penetrate its once famous beaches.
Bodie, California
Bodie is another town that has become a monument to the gold rush. It arose in the 1880s, and in a matter of years the population of Bodie grew to 10 thousand people. However, gold mining in these parts gradually fell into decline, and residents began to leave. In the 1940s, there were barely a dozen residents, and in 1962, the completely deserted Bodie gained the status of a national monument.
Imber, England
In December 1943, residents of the village of Imber in Wiltshire were hastily evacuated at the request of the Allied command. It housed a training base where soldiers prepared for the invasion of Europe. Return local residents It never happened: after the war, the village continued to house an army training base. However, a couple of times a year you can come to Imber on an excursion: on Christmas and during the spring bank holidays, the military allows history buffs into the territory.
Port Arthur, Tasmania
The city of Port Arthur was formed around a convict prison opened in 1830. After its closure in 1877, residents continued to live here, but due to lack of work and prospects, they gradually left. By the middle of the 20th century, there were almost no residents left in the city, and a couple of decades later the city turned into a museum where you can learn about the life and everyday life of Australian convict settlements of the 19th century.
Fordlandia, Brazil
Deep in the jungles of Brazil, an empty town was lost, created in 1928 by Henry Ford for the life of rubber plantation workers. Alas, the project was unsuccessful. Ford hoped to instill American morals among the workers, but was not successful. The project was abandoned after World War II due to unprofitability, constant illness of residents and friction between Brazilian workers and American managers. In 1945, Ford's grandson sold the land for next to nothing.
Pyramiden, Norway
Near the city of Pyramiden, named after a pyramid-shaped mountain nearby, interesting story. This territory was purchased by the USSR in 1927 for the development of a coal mine. During Soviet times, up to 1,200 specialists lived here. However, in 1998 the city was abandoned, the mine workers left, and today the Pyramid remains abandoned, technically still the property of some Russian company.
Spinalonga, Greece
Spinalonga is a small island off the coast of Crete. For many centuries, a leper colony was located here. Powerful fortifications were intended to protect - not the inhabitants, but the coast of Crete from those who would try to return from the island to civilization. IN modern times A hospital was opened for residents on the island. It closed in 1957, and in 1962 the island was deserted. Today tourists often come here, and some of them claim that the ghosts of the outcasts who died here still roam Spinalonga.