20 Abandoned Cities Frozen in Time

Located on the border of Texas and New Mexico, Glenrio was once a thriving stop on Route 66. However, as the highway was rerouted, the town fell into decline and was eventually abandoned. Today, the crumbling buildings along the old Route 66 corridor evoke nostalgia for a past era when the town was a bustling travel destination.

Located in southwestern Turkey, Kayaköy was once home to a vibrant Greek-speaking community. After the Greek-Turkish population exchange in the 1920s, the village was abandoned. Today, the stone houses and churches are left in ruins, surrounded by olive trees, offering a glimpse into a community lost to history.

Bannerman Castle on Pollepel Island in the Hudson River was built in the early 1900s as a military surplus warehouse and residence. Over time, the castle deteriorated, and it was abandoned after a series of fires. Today, the castle remains a dramatic and eerie sight, its crumbling walls standing tall against the backdrop of the river.

This small town in Mexico was completely covered by lava in 1943 after the eruption of the Parícutin volcano. Today, the church remains as a striking reminder of the town’s sudden destruction, with the abandoned buildings poking out of the hardened lava, creating a surreal and dramatic landscape.

Different from the famous Ukrainian Pripyat, this town was abandoned after a chemical disaster at a nearby factory. Similar to its counterpart, the town’s empty buildings, including schools, stores, and homes, remain untouched, offering an unsettling look at a life that has long since moved on.

The Sanzhi UFO houses were once a futuristic resort development in Taiwan, but construction was halted in the 1980s due to financial difficulties, accidents, and urban legends. The iconic, pod-like structures have been left abandoned for years, becoming an eerie tourist attraction. Despite plans for redevelopment, the site remains frozen in time, capturing the imagination of many.

Belchite is an abandoned Spanish village that was left in ruins after the Spanish Civil War. The village was destroyed during heavy fighting, and it was never rebuilt. Today, the ruins are preserved as a historical monument, with crumbling buildings, destroyed churches, and a haunting atmosphere that evokes the horrors of war.

Once one of the richest cities in the world due to its silver mines, Potosí in Bolivia was abandoned after the mines were exhausted in the 19th century. Today, the city is known for its historic ruins, and the once grandiose buildings stand in stark contrast to the empty streets, telling the story of a prosperous city that has since faded into history.

The Jewish Quarter of Krakow, Poland, was abandoned during World War II when the Nazis forced the Jewish population into ghettos and concentration camps. Today, while parts of the area have been revitalized, sections of the district still carry the scars of the past, with decaying synagogues and streets that tell the story of a lost community.

Teotihuacan is an ancient Mesoamerican city that flourished around 200 AD. The city, once home to hundreds of thousands of people, was mysteriously abandoned around 650 AD. Though much of the city’s original structures, including the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, still stand, its empty streets and temples offer little insight into why it was abandoned.

The city of Famagusta on Cyprus was once a prosperous medieval and Venetian port city. In the 1970s, during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the city was abandoned, leaving behind remnants of its once-glorious past. Today, the walled city is an eerie place where ancient ruins stand beside abandoned modern buildings.

Varosha was once a popular resort area in Cyprus, attracting tourists from around the world. However, after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the area was abandoned and cordoned off by the military. Today, the city remains a ghost town, with abandoned hotels, resorts, and even empty beaches, frozen in time and shrouded in mystery.

Bodie was a thriving gold rush town in the late 1800s, but by the early 1900s, the gold ran out, and the town was abandoned. Today, Bodie is a well-preserved ghost town, with over 100 buildings still intact, including homes, stores, and churches. The town is a popular tourist destination, offering visitors a glimpse into life during the gold rush.

Oradour-sur-Glane is a village in southwestern France that was abandoned after a massacre during World War II. In 1944, Nazi soldiers killed 642 inhabitants and burned the village to the ground. Today, the village remains as a memorial, frozen in time as a reminder of the brutal horrors of war. The buildings, cars, and other remnants are preserved as they were on that tragic day.

Craco is a medieval hilltop town in southern Italy that was abandoned after a series of natural disasters, including earthquakes and landslides. The city’s cliffside location, combined with its eerie, decaying buildings, makes it a fascinating place to visit. Its abandonment has turned it into a haunting, almost mystical site, often used in films and documentaries.

Centralia was a mining town in Pennsylvania that was abandoned due to an underground coal fire that has been burning since 1962. The fire caused dangerous levels of toxic gas and smoke to seep from the ground, leading to the evacuation of the town. Today, the city is a ghost town, with overgrown roads, abandoned homes, and a once-thriving community left in ruins.

Hashima Island, also known as Gunkanjima or "Battleship Island," was once a thriving coal mining town, home to thousands of people. When the mines were exhausted in the 1970s, the island was abandoned. Now, the island's decaying buildings, including its iconic high-rise apartments, remain as a haunting reminder of the once-bustling industrial hub.

In the early 1900s, Kolmanskop was a thriving diamond mining town in the Namibian desert. However, when diamond resources dwindled, the town was abandoned in the 1950s. Today, the desert sands have slowly reclaimed the buildings, and the town remains frozen in time with its once opulent interiors, featuring faded wallpapers and antique furniture

One of the most famous abandoned cities in history, Pompeii was frozen in time when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, burying the city under tons of volcanic ash. The excavation of Pompeii has uncovered remarkably preserved buildings, streets, and even human remains, offering a unique snapshot of Roman life frozen in time.

Pripyat, the city most closely associated with the Chernobyl disaster, was abandoned in 1986 after a catastrophic nuclear accident at the nearby power plant. Once a thriving Soviet town, Pripyat now stands eerily silent, its streets lined with overgrown trees, abandoned playgrounds, and decaying buildings. Despite the danger from radiation, visitors are allowed to explore certain areas, and the city remains a poignant reminder of the disaster.