As the world continues to develop and urbanize, we’re left with a fascinating array of abandoned cities and ghost towns, left to be reclaimed by nature. These cities, once bustling with life and activity, now stand eerily silent, with their streets empty and buildings crumbling.
Some have been abandoned due to natural disasters, while others have been left behind due to war or economic collapse. Let’s take a look at 15 of the largest abandoned cities on Earth, exploring their histories, their stories, and the eerie beauty of these once-thriving metropolises.
From Thames Town in China, a replica of a British town that never saw a single resident, to Kennecott, Alaska, a mining town abandoned in the 1930s, to Ashgabat in Turkmenistan, once known as the “city of white marble,” and Pripyat, Ukraine, a city frozen in time after the Chernobyl disaster, these abandoned cities offer a fascinating glimpse into our world’s past, and a haunting reminder of the power of time and nature.
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Top image: Abandoned city. Source: aigarsr / Adobe Stock.