Bristi Dey
Kuldhara, Rajasthan
About 18 km from Jaisalmer, Kuldhara is known for its rows of sandstone ruins, empty lanes and the remains of an old settlement. The village is believed to have been abandoned in the 19th century but there stands no real cause for its abandonment. Today, visitors come to walk through the ruins and see what remains of the settlement.
Old Town AlUla, Medina, Saudi Arabia
In northwestern Saudi Arabia, around 400 kilometres from Medina, lies AlUla Old Town, from where people gradually moved out and it was abandoned. Named as the lost town, it has now revived as a popular travel destination. The maze of narrow lanes, tightly packed mud-brick houses and old marketplaces tells the story of a community that thrived here for centuries.
Kolmanskop, Namibia
In the early 1900s, Kolmanskop flourished after diamonds were discovered in Namibia's desert. The mining town developed into a surprisingly prosperous settlement but as diamond production shifted elsewhere residents began leaving and by 1956, the town was abandoned. Kolmanskop's eerie appeal comes from the contrast between its former prosperity and its present-day silence.
Pripyat, Ukraine
Often named as the city frozen in time, Pripyat became a ghost town after the tragic Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant incident. Empty classrooms, a huge Ferris wheel, decaying buildings and the overgrown fairground make the city seem like a ghost town. As of now, all civilian and tourist access to Pripyat has been closed since early 2022 following the outbreak of the war.
Centralia, Pennsylvania, USA
Regarded as one of the most famous ghost towns in the United States, Centralia was once a thrilling town. But in 1962, a fire ignited in an underground coal seam and continued spreading through the abandoned mine workings, soon thousands of people left the town. The thought of walking over a fire that has continued smouldering for decades has helped turn the town into a famous tourist destination.