Monday, April 28, 2014

An abandoned Moscow water park

The construction of the Akvadroma water park was approved in 1997, in preparation for the 1998 World Youth Games in Moscow

The ​​43,500 square-meter (468,000 sq. feet) building was 9 floors tall (with 3 more floors below ground) and included 5 swimming pools, water slides, track and field, guest rooms for athletes, offices, cafes, and a physiotherapy and medical center.

Akvandroma wasn't ready for the Games but its construction went on until February 2002 when the site was abandoned. In July 2007, the building was purchased with plans to be converted into a shopping mall.




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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The mysterious dome houses in southwest Florida


Built in 1980 at Cape Romano, these dome constructions was a DIY project of retired oil producer Bob Lee. His family spent much of the 80's nside the self-sustaining and solar-powered homes but started visiting less after 1992 when hurricane Andrew caused damage in the area but not the dome houses themselves.

In 2005 the abandoned houses were purchased by John Tosto just before hurricane Wilma caused serious damage to the domes and washed away some of the coastline. Two years later the local authorities asked Tosto to remove the houses but his inaction resulted in hefty fines. 

Today the dome houses remain abandoned and completely reclaimed by the sea and only accessible by boat for locals and tourists to explore.



SEE ALSO: More abandoned houses around the world // More abandoned places in Florida // More abandoned places in the United States // LIST OF ALL DESERTED PLACES 
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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

The medieval Armenian ghost town of Ani


In the Turkish province of Kars, near the Turkish - Armenian border, there's the abandoned medieval Armenian city of Ani. Built in a naturally defensive site, Ani was the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia between 961 and 1045. At its height, the city had a population of 100,000–200,000 people, an important cultural and economic center, rival of Constantinople, Baghdad and Damascus.

Throughout the centuries, Ani was attacked by Byzantines, Seljuk Turks, Mongolians, and Georgians until it became part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1579. An earthquake in 1319 forced many to abandon the city, however the site wasn't entirely abandoned before the eighteenth century. During World War I, the Ottomans captured Kars province and destroyed and looted all the artifacts Armenians didn't have time to save. In 1921, Turkish government minister Riza Nur ordered for the monuments of Ani to "be wiped off the face of the earth", order which was partially carried out. Until recently, no one was allowed to visit Ani without permission but since 2011 the Turkish government is allowing visits with an entrance ticket. In the same year.

Neglect, earthquakes, cultural cleansing, vandalism took a heavy toll on Ani and its monuments. In May 2011, World Monuments Fund announced it was beginning conservation work on the cathedral and Church of the Holy Redeemer in partnership with the Turkish Ministry of Culture.



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