There is so much written about supernatural things like ghosts, aliens etc. As I think being human sometimes there are some suspicious factors, which creates suspense in mind. So that suspense or fear makes us to know about that factor and that’s the thing which filmmakers used in movies to have good business. In my view curiosity is human nature we want to know unknown things. There is plenty of literature about ghosts and also so many movies made on same topic. But what’s the reality, where is the ghost city, and how that populated place became a ghost city?
Well there are factors that lead the populated towns or cities to become ghost cities or abandoned places for humans. There are plenty of ghost towns in America especially in southern and central states. According to a survey report there are 6,000 abandoned sites of settlement in Kansas alone. There are so many factors for not having population on those places anymore like lack of natural resources, no linking roads and no railway bypassing. But major factor for that can be a disaster, natural or human made. It was happened with Pattonsburg town. This town was founded in 1845, and till 1993 the town was flooded over 30 times. The residents were tired of floods so with help of Government they rebuilt new town 3 miles away that is now known as New Pattonsburg, leaving old Pattonsburg behind as a ghost town.
This topic is really interesting for me that’s why I listed my top 10 most interesting abandoned places on the planet hope to bring some real facts about the ghost cities which are totally fictional for other people. So here are the 10 most abandoned places of earth.
1 – Craco, Italy
Craco is called ghost town in Italy. It’s located in Basilicata and the province of Matera. It’s almost 25 miles away from the Gulf of Taranto just located at edge of Italy. This town was built on a hill, which allow for the farming of wheat and other crops. Archbishop Arnaldo, Bishop of Tricarico in 1060 A.D, owned Craco’s land. That religious relation with church had influenced the inhabitants so much throughout all the ages.
The population of Craco in 1891 was 2,000 people. And it was having so many problems like poor agriculture that made life hard to live there. So from 1892 to 1922 more than 1,300 people migrated from the town to North America. The major factor for such a large number of migrations of people was poor farming, earthquakes, landslides and adding fuel to fire the War. From 1959 to 1972 Craco got so much earthquakes and landslides. That’s why in 1963 the remaining 18,00 inhabitants were transferred from there to a near valley called Craco Peschiera and now original Craco is left alone with no human being living there.
2 – Pripyat, Ukraine
Pripyat is located in the Zone of alienation in Kieve Oblast, Ukraine near the border with Belarus. Its population was 50,000 and most of home in city was of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant workers. In 1986 because of the Chernobyl disaster the place was abandoned due to threat of radiation. Now that place is like a museum showing past glimpses of soviet life. But this place was looted heavily in beginning of 21st century even the toilet seats were stolen.
However after that Chernobyl disaster the place will not be safe for habitation of humans for several years, even after so many years it will be hard to consider it a healthy place to live there. When Chernobyl was going to be built, it was planned to built it just 25 km away from Kiev city afterwards the concerns were voiced at its closeness to the city so after a long debate it was build along Pripyat 100km away from Kiev that decision became wise later on which saved a larger city of Kiev from disaster.
3 – Yashima, Japan
In northwest of Takamatsu Yashima is located, Takamatsu is second largest city on Shikoku which is one the Japan’s major islands. This place is having a part in history of Japan; the famous battle of Genpei in 22nd March 1185 took place here. From so many things of Yashima at its top there is the Yashima Temple, which is well known Shikoku pilgrimage. That is the only thing there because of which so many people go to this strangely neglected geographical irregularity. But it was not like this always.
In mid eighties during the rise in Japanese economy the people of Takamatsu decided that the Yashima plateau was an excellent place to encourage tourism so they started investing their money on development of this sacred land. Six hotels, an aquarium, so many parks and trails were made there. Later on people realized that Yashima plateau was not an attractive place because of views of nearby rock quarry. So in result visitors numbers dropped and there was a loss of millions of Yen on inflated real estate deals, all hotels and shops were forced to shut down and also the cable care which used to transport to Yashima heights.
4 – Centralia, Pennsylvania
In 1841 Johnathan Faust opened Bull’s Head Taverns in Centralia, as Centralia was given the status of borough in 1866. The hard type coal was major industry for employment of the community till 1960s. In 1962 an exposed vein of coal got fire, which spread out rapidly underground, which lead the so many companies out of business. All attempts to extinguish fire were gone in vain and it continued to burn throughout 1960s and 1970s. Because of that continuous coal burning underground affected the health of people living there.
The inhabitants realized the problem that how serious it had been in 1979 when a gas station reported fuel temperature of 172 degrees Fahrenheit. In 1981 an incident provoked a widespread attention when a 12 years old boy almost plunged to his death as a 4 foot wide and 150 foot deep sinkhole suddenly opened beneath his feet. $42 million were spend for the moving of residents to the nearby Mount Carmel and Ashland in 1984. There were more than 1000 residents in Centralia in 1981, now only few left from them most are the priests. Underground fire is still burning and according to experts it will be continuously burning to next almost 250 years.
5 – Katoli World Taiwan
Katoli world is located in Dakeng Scenic area just outside of Taichung, Taiwan. This theme park was opened in mid eighties and it got a moderate success as being one of the few theme parks on the island of Taiwan. This park was closed because of a massive earthquake on September 21st, 1999. That quake was occurred after opening hours of the park, thousands of people were died in that quake but none was died inside park and larger area of park was destroyed. Later on that park was forced to close. Now that place is turning to rust now.
6 – Balestrino, Italy
About Balestrino there is no authentic information is available which can be found that when it was established. The records before the 11th century shows that the Benedictine abbey of San Pietro dei Monti owned Balestrino. On the upper part of the town there is a castle and on lower part a parish church. According to 1860 records about Balestrino population shows 800-850 people lived there. Most of them were farmers who farmed olive trees.
Numerous earthquakes struck the North West coast of Italy in the late 19th century. In 1887 a major earthquake destroyed some villages in that area but there is official record, which can show that quake affected the Balestrino also. This town was abandoned in 1953 because of geological instability and the population was transferred to a safer place to the west. Balestrino is completely abandoned place from last more than 50 years, now there are plans undergoing for redeveloping it.
7 – Gunkanjima, Japan
Hashima Island that is also called Gunkanjima is located 15 km away from Nagasaki. Its one among the 505 uninhabited islands in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1890 Mitsubishi bought this island for industrial purposes and started a project to retrieve coal from bottom of the sea. Japan’s 1st concrete buildings were build for the first time on this island in 1916. There was a block of apartments, which were made for the workers who work on that island.
The population grown so bigger in 1959 that the population density level got so high, 835 people per hectare for the whole island and 1,391 per hectare for residential district, that’s one of ever-highest densities ever, recorded worldwide. In 1960s petroleum replaced coal in Japan, because of that coal mines were closed all over Japan so as Hashima was closed also Mitsubishi in 1974. Now this island is having no population just empty down falling buildings, travel to the island is prohibited currently. The 2003 film “ Battle for Royale II” was having this island as location.
8 – Varosha, Cyprus
Varosha is located in Famagusta, Cyprus that’s the Turkish occupied city. Before invasion of Turkish forces in 1974, Varosha was a modern tourist area and was decorated as one of most luxurious holiday destinations. But after invasion citizens left the island with expectation that they will return after few days. The Turkish army wrapped barbed wire all around it and controlled it completely. No one is allowed to go there except from Turkish military or UN personnel.
There was the Annan Plan for return of the Varosha to Greek Cypriot control but Greek Cypriot voters rejected that plan with out realizing the actual fact. But its not ended yet Governments are planning together to make Varosha beautiful as it was before. Till now three concept hotels are designed by Laxia Inc. in 2010 it will be opened for the tourism by Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
9 – San Zhi, Taiwan
San Zhi is located in the North of Taiwan. This futuristic pod village was planned and built for the luxurious treat for the rich. But during its construction some deadly accidents happened which caused halt in its construction work, because of lack of money and willingness work there was stopped permanently, leaving the alien like structures as it is in memory of those who lost their lives there. There was rumors also afterwards in surrounding areas that place is occupied by the ghost of those people who died there. So in result Government also haven’t taken any interest about this matter and kept the distance from bizarre happenings. As it seems that this project will never start again. May be they thinks that destroying homes of spirits is a bad thing.
10 – Bodie, California
Bodie is a truly American ghost town, it was founded in 1876 in beginning a small population there but later on mines from nearby area there attracted thousands and only after four years in 1880 its population became almost 10,000. There was 65 saloons in the main street of the town and also there was a Chinatown with hundreds of Chinese residents.
But with passage of time as the resources started reducing, that reduced the prominence of Bodie also. Almost for most of the 20th century Bodie was having permanent residents living there even in 1932 there was fire, which ravaged the much of town. Now there is no one living in Bodie. In 1961 it was designated a National Historic Landmark and in 1962 it became Bodie State Historic Park.
Most part of town had been decline today; only a small part of the town still survives. The interiors still remained the same as they were left. The visitors can walk in town streets its opened all of the year but the only road to Bodie remains mostly closed in winters due to heavy snowfall the whole road is covered with thick layers of snow, so perfect time to visit there is summer season.
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Great images and info here, really enjoyed reading this post! Bodie is an absolutely amazing place, definitely on the list of places to go to. Many of these are completely new to me though, so thanks very much for posting!
Tom´s last blog ..Bars, Restaurants and Avante Garde: 5 Fashionable Former Public Toilets