Many towns hide intriguing stories behind their walls. Over time, more and more towns become abandoned, sometimes for reasons the world knows well and sometimes for mysteries that remain unsolved. Nevertheless, the stories of some abandoned towns and the explanations of why they became deserted lead to mystical events that attract a lot of adventure seekers.
Even casual tourists might be tempted to explore these silent streets and hear about the lives once lived there. In this article, we will discuss the mysterious stories of 5 abandoned towns all over the world.
1. Rhyolite, Nevada, US
Rhyolite in Nevada used to be a super rich town, as it was founded right next to the gold mines. Thanks to profitable gold mines, the citizens didn’t have to worry about essential amenities like electricity, housing, and transportation. As a result, they had plenty of resources and time to think about establishing entertainment, including theaters, saloons, and even casinos, which became a favorite pastime among its residents.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the gold mines failed which caused a disaster and the fall of the town as well. In the meantime, more and more people started leaving, and by 1920, the town had only 14 citizens. Soon it became fully empty and got the title of a “ghost town”. But interestingly, the gambling tradition didn’t die. According to local beliefs, the few descendants and former residents continued to play online casino games even after leaving Rhyolite.
2. Houtouwan, China
The village of Houtouwan is set on the Shengshan island in China. It used to be popular for fishing and had around 3000 citizens. Even though it used to look like a living fairytale, this beautiful village unfortunately became part of one of the abandoned places.
The abandonment of Houtouwan grew unavoidable after it slowly ran out of supplies, considering it was dependent on only fishing and was situated far from other more lively and urbanized towns. In addition, people were slowly moving away to search for better places to live. Now, after two decades, all you can see on this land are green vines. It looks so strange and quiet that you might even think some ghost is lurking around watching you if you visit.
3. Al Madam, United Arab Emirates
Al Madam is located near Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. By the looks of it, it is just two lines of pretty mesmerizing houses standing in the sand inside a desert. There are many stories about why this place got abandoned and the people from nearby villages certainly like to talk about them a lot.
According to rumors, Al Madam was haunted by Umm Duvais, an evil djinn with cat eyes. This caused the citizens to be scared and run away. Another more realistic explanation is that people left because of the deficiency of water and electricity.
4. Pripyat, Ukraine
Pripyat is located right next to the town of Chernobyl, which is famous for the atomic disaster that happened here in 1986. As Chernobyl became uninhabited because of the radiation levels, the same has also affected the nearby territories, including Pripyat, so people had to leave the town.
Over time, the radiation levels have gone lower so now tourists are allowed to visit. However, it is still harmful to be in this area for a long time. If you ever decide to visit this unfortunate town, better take caution so you don’t become part of the disaster.
5. Craco, Italy
Craco was a village in Italy that dates back to 540 A.D., and it wraps up our list of abandoned towns. During the time of its existence and function as a town, its citizens have gone through many catastrophic situations, like plagues and cruel human crimes. In spite of all this, Craco still survived for hundreds of years.
However, in the 20th century, Carco unluckily became abandoned after several earthquakes and natural disasters that did a lot of damage to the town. It is often believed that the spirit of nature finally punished its people for their crimes. As of today, it is just empty land, open to be explored by tourists.
Bottom Line
The stories of abandoned towns can be absolutely fascinating, and now you know about 5 of these kinds of places. Yes, it can be dangerous. Sometimes even the sound of the word “abandoned” causes chills in some people. But for horror enthusiasts who are curious enough, it is a perfect way to experience unknown history in its eeriest form.
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