Ghost Towns And Their Mysterious Histories

Bodie, California

Image Source: KQED

Bodie, California, really encapsulates the term Ghost town. What was once a hotspot with over 10,000 people living there and  a gold rush town, is now abandoned due the depleting land. It is now a national landmark with over 200,000 visitors every year.

Kayakoy, Turkey

Image Source: Daily Sabah

Otherwise known as Livissi, this ghostly town was once inhabited by Greek Orthodox residents. They lived here from the end of the ottoman conquest until the 20th century. Because of the Turkish war, all residents were exiled and never to be populated again.

Agdam, Azerbaijan

Image Source: Radio Free Europe 

Located in the south west of Azerbaijan, this town was abandoned due to a war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Founded in the 18th century, the Russian empire had taken over the town, until the collapse of the empire where Azerbaijan and Armenia took control again, leading to the war.

Dollersheim, Austria

Image Source: No Camera Bag

Dollersheim is the origin of a German dictator in the Second World War, Hitler. Hitler's father was born here, and Hitler himself took control of this town in the second world war with the idea of erasing the town from history in order to hide his family heritage, with the town having a Jewish Population.

Kolmanskop, Namibia

Image Source: Travelationship 

Kolmanskop was a mining town in the early 20th century. By the early 30's the town was completely depleted from mining. The world's most valuable diamond fields were discovered which led to people leaving their homes, and by the mid 50's the town was uninhabited and desolate.

Cody, British Columbia

Image Source: Mapio.net

Another former mining town, was rich in mineral mines in the early 1800's. This town is abandoned due to a huge fire that took place in the town. With only 100-150 residents, they were all forced to vacate. It is now under government protection and is now a popular site to visit.

Balestrino, Italy

Image Source: World Abandoned 

In the Italian mountains is the small abandoned town of Balestrino. Dating back to medieval times, the population were forced to leave due to frequent, freak earthquakes that kept happening in the mountains. Parts of the town have been restored for the pleasure of tourists.

Mandu, India

Image Source: Times of India 

Founded in 1526, Mandu was once the second largest empire in the region. However it has been desolate for 400+ years. It is here that you can find India's oldest marble structures. Although we do not know why its abandoned, Mandu was once the capital of a northern Indian muslim state.

Pripyat, Ukraine

Image Source: The Atlantic

Probably the most famous on the list, Pripyat in Ukraine is the home of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. in 1986 an explosion was caused from poorly trained workers twinned with a flawed design, resulting in one of history's worst radioactive explosions. It has now been abandoned ever since and will be thousands of years before the town is to be habitable again.

Varosha, Cyprus

Image Source: Hürriyet Daily News

Varosha on the eastern coast, has been closed off since the 70's. For some reason the Turkish army have occupied the town as well as the majority of the island. Not necessarily abandoned but it is now a military restricted zone. Although is still a very eerie place.

Hashima Island, Japan

Image Source: CNN

Not a town but in this case an island, Hashima is right by the Japanese coast. A mining town, workers were forced to work here, to the point some workers never returned home. Over time the island ran out of coal leaving workers to vacate to find more sources.

Grytviken, South Georgia

Image Source: Sher She Goes

A whaling station founded in 1904, was the largest station in the whole of the Antarctic waters. Due to the brutal over hunting of whales, the whale numbers decreased rapidly and was left redundant by the early 60's. Ships are left rusting along with the buildings that were there too. Creating a great tourist spot.

Pyramiden, Norway

Image Source: Hear It From Locals

What was once a normal town, which was used for mining, and with the idea to create schools, shops, and libraries. This town functioned of just a short time before being terminated and abandoned after the fall of the Soviet Union. After everything was shut down, all residents were forced to leave the city.

Vorkuta, Russia

Image Source: lovePROPERTY

The town of Vorkuta in Russia, was notorious for being a forced labor camp, being controlled by the Soviet Union. It housed up to 60,000 inmates, The reason for the camps demise was because there was a massacre of inmates after they tried fighting out against the guards do to lack of humanity.

Oradour-Sur-Glane, France

Image Source: FranceComfort 

Oradour-Sur-Glane was a town in N*zi-occupied France, which was demolished when over 800 civilians were killed by a German combat branch as a punishment for the civilians resisting the N*zis. The village was never rebuilt and with that it leaves abandoned ruins behind.

Hampi, India

Image Source: India For Beginners

In the 14th century, Hampi had a population of over 500,000 people. However it was destroyed in 1565 by a sultanates army. Located in central Karnataka in southern India, it now has the most amazingly preserved forts and buildings, there in all their glory for tourists to visit and see.

Wittenoom, Western Australia

Image Source: The Guardian

Another mine town on our list, this town was at its peak in the 50's. This town was abandoned in 2007 due to money losses and health concerns because of blue asbestos covering the town. Although the roads have been blocked off because of the asbestos, visitors still go there.

Ross Island, India

Image Source: Insider 

This island in the Indian Ocean, was home to settlements but was abandoned in the 18th century due to the high climate conditions. The island was used by the British as a command post. An earthquake in the end is what destroyed this island and left it in ruins.

Craco, Italy

Image Source: The Mirror

This town on a mountain top was discovered in the 8th century, in the 1960's the town had a landslide and then 10 years after was flooded. Another earthquake 20 years later is what forced citizens to abandon the city completely. The town is on its last legs, although people still visit.

Kadykchan, Russia

Image Source: Flickr

Also another mining town, this town hosted two coal mines. An explosion in 1996 rendered this town inhabitable, demolishing all the buildings. The fall of this town, like many others on this list is from the fall of the Soviet Union. Post 2010 the population of this town is nothing.

North Brother Island, New York

Image Source: Business Insider 

This island in the Bronx of New York was once home to Riverside hospital and its patients. Although no one knows why it has been abandoned, it is still overseen by New York's park ranger team. There are still no plans in place about what to do with the island although there are talks from professionals.

Garnet, Montana

Image Source: Destination Missoula

Yet another mining town. This town was in its prime in the 1860's. Like many others on this list, this town was abandoned when the gold count became depleted, leaving it useless to the miners. On top of this there was a fire the ruined the majority of the town.

Glenrio, Texas

Image Source: National Park Service

Glenrio in Texas/New Mexico was part of the old route 66 route. Meaning it was visited a vast amount of times every year by tourists. However, in the 50's the main interstate leading the roads here was replaced by a new route, leaving Glenrio overlooked and over time people left as traffic was no more.

Dhanushkodi, India

Image Source: Tripsavvy

This is a tragic story. Dhanushkodu was a small town in India, that just lived a normal life. However, in the early 60's this town was struck by a freak storm, resulting in 300 km winds, and tidal waves over 20 ft high. Killing over 1,500 people, resulting in a destroyed ghost town.

Great Blasket Island, Ireland

Image Source: Independant.ie

An island rather than a town, Great Blasket Island, was last inhabited in 1953 where to locals were forced to evacuate due to the tough living conditions. The residents were self sustainable and lived off of fishing and animal breeding. Nowadays the island still has the foundations of the buildings to go and visit.

Goldfield, Arizona

Image Source: We Who Roam

Now a tourist attraction and what was once a mining town. This town was ultimately abandoned due the faulty mines and the hazard that came with the faults. The town was home to over 4000 residents in the late 1800's. It was abandoned just 5 years after being declared as an official town.

Picher, Oklahoma

Image Source: Only In Your State

Like the previous town, Picher which is situated in Oklahoma, was abandoned due to the risk of collapsing mines. It was declared uninhabitable. It was a leading town for zinc and lead mining but keeping people living there was just too dangerous. Therefore in 2009 the town was evacuated by its remaining residents.

Kennecott, Alaska

Image Source: CNET

In the 30's, Kennecott, another mining town, was closed because of the dangerous mines and increasing prices to repair the railroads which led declining in profits. Leaving behind this small, hillside town makes for a great tourist attraction, and is now a national landmark.

Belchite, Spain

Image Source: Xixerone

During the Spanish civil war, this town was held by a nationalist army. In 1937 there was a 15 day siege on the town that destroyed the town, otherwise known as the Battle of Belchite. The residents were killed and the houses and building obliterated and bombed to pieces.

Tianducheng, China

Image Source: Elle Decor

Last on this list is Tianducheng in China, on the outskirts of Hangzhou. Quite a weird town, this town is a replica of Paris. Constructed as in the hopes of attracting thousands, it has since been described as a ghost town and the only visitors it gets is tourists.