In rural Turkey, what was intended to be a Disney princess paradise featuring hundreds of turreted holiday residences was abandoned to the elements.

Burj Al Babas represents a catastrophic mega development that now appears more like a haunting ghost settlement than a luxury destination.

Situated near the Black Sea, the settlement contains 587 miniature fortresses that were planned to become the region's premier tourist magnet.

However, financing evaporated and the whitewashed settlement was abandoned completely.

The properties were marketed for between £330,000 to £440,000 for buyers seeking their own diminutive palace, reports the Mirror.

Sarot Group, the development company, envisaged a tribute to Europe's historic Royal dynasties when they conceived the scheme, according to CNN Traveller.

For the wealthy elite weary of Monaco and southern France - this corner of heaven promised everything: Mediterranean weather atop neo-Gothic towers overlooking idyllic Turkish woodland.

Positioned in the Roman spa settlement of Mudurnu, renowned for its thermal springs and alleged "healing waters," each property would feature underfloor heating and Jacuzzis throughout every floor.

Nevertheless, following construction commencement in 2014, with 2018 as the projected completion date, Sarot Group was compelled to file for bankruptcy.

Residents were equally incensed after witnessing the appearance of the properties and the developers' business methods.

Regional media reported that numerous locals were angered the fortresses bore no resemblance to anything in the vicinity, especially the historic Ottoman-style residences. A legal battle against the developers alleged that the company wreaked havoc on trees and damaged the environment.

Following this, Turkey's economy took a nosedive, leaving the developers in a £24 million debt.

The future of the project looks bleak as investors and buyers withdrew their funds from the £200million venture in 2019.

Despite the significant setback, Sarot Group remained optimistic about completing the scheme, according to a report in The New York Times. However, the arrival of the pandemic dealt another blow, leaving the project utterly deserted.

The ghost town is filled with partially constructed villas, none of which were completed. Burj Al Babas now stands still, frozen in time with no signs of life.

Burj Al Babas comprises over 700 multi-storey castles, half of which had already been sold by 2019.

The contentious Gothic-inspired architectural features, including flying buttresses, pointed arches, and ribbed vaulting, are designed to mirror the castles found along the roads just outside the Roman spa town of Mudurnu.

The project's developers selected a vast valley at the foot of Turkey's northwestern mountains to attract Arabs from the Gulf. Each home offers stunning natural views.

Moreover, the town is now strewn with abandoned building materials.