Haunted Places in Turkey

The number of places in Turkey believed to be sites of paranormal and terrifying events is quite substantial. These locations generally carry traces of folk horror elements from Anatolia that we’re accustomed to hearing about from our elders. As we always say, our goal is to approach these places as spaces where our beloved folkloric horror themes come to light, and to try to understand for ourselves what horror elements appear in these narratives and why and how these beliefs emerged. Not to disturb people living in places where these urban legends took shape. 

Molla Zeyrek Mosque

One of the first places that comes to mind when thinking about haunted locations in Turkey, Molla Zeyrek Mosque was built in the 12th century as the Pantokrator Monastery and later converted into a mosque. The historical nature of the site already explains the development of paranormal urban legends around it. What makes this mosque mysterious is the land now used as a park area, which was previously thought to have been a stable and water well. It’s also believed there’s a cellar beneath the well. The paranormal belief regarding this location involves sounds believed to be heard from the cellar beneath the well. During the period when there was a stable on the land, people who left their animals in the stable reportedly couldn’t find them again, and constant screaming sounds were heard. In some narratives, these sounds appear more as whispers rather than screams. While the screams of unknown origin generally bring to mind jinn—the most popular element of Anatolian folkloric horror narratives—the whispers and well element point to entities that appear in Turkish and Altaic folk belief as “Körmöz.”

The Haunted Bathhouse (Hamam) in Eskişehir

From a narrative with strong historical roots, we’re moving to a more contemporary urban legend that can be seen, albeit rarely. The haunted bathhouse in Eskişehir. This legend emerged in the 2000s and spread rapidly, somewhat frightening those living in the city at the time but also being a bit comical. According to the rumor, a person goes to a bathhouse at night and notices that the employees’ feet are reversed (In Turkish folk horror beliefs, jinn are creatures with reverse feet.). After this experience, he escapes from the bathhouse and seek refuge with the police. The legend continued to spread by word of mouth, causing great interest in Eskişehir in 2007. This legend even became the subject of a sketch by Şahan Gökbakar, who was one of the most famous comedians of Turkey at the time. This story, based on the bathhouse culture in the city, with its reversed-feet bathhouse employees, naturally brings to mind jinn, the unchanging elements of such narratives.

Issız Cuma Cemetery

Issız Cuma Cemetery, located in Çanakkale Yenice, is a place known for both its history and mysterious events. The constant merging of the gravestones of a woman and her baby who died in 1967 caught the attention of the village people, and this paranormal event eventually became legend. The mosque from which the cemetery takes its name was built in 1335. This story is connected to Anatolian beliefs in vengeful spirits and revenants.

The Haunted Village in Sakarya

The Haunted Village in Sakarya, known as Azem Village, is a place associated with frightening legends. The village is believed to be cursed and stories related to jinn are told about it. According to legend, a shepherd who migrated to the village performs a spell called Azem because of the injustice he witnessed, causing jinn to haunt the village. Visitors claim to encounter strange beings and frightening events in the village. The current location of the village is uncertain. More accurately, there’s no indication that such a village existed in history. As we’ve said many times before, we can divide memorates and urban legends into two categories: narratives like Issız Cuma Cemetery, the jinn-haunted bathhouse in Eskişehir, or Molla Zeyrek Mosque—which are rumored to have occurred among the people and the local population is somehow aware of—and legends that emerged through the influence of contemporary fictional works. The cursed village in Sakarya definitely falls into the second category.

Three-Forked Shadow Village

Let’s continue with another urban legend shaped by the influence of fictional works. Three-Forked Shadow Village, featured in the film Dabbe Zehr-i Cin, is described on the internet as a cursed location. According to legend, the village was cursed as a result of dark dealings with jinn and lost its population. With the film’s influence, various paranormal stories about the village spread, and the village was presented as if it had become abandoned. However, it’s also noted that the village doesn’t have a long-established history of such narratives, and the villagers are disturbed by these legends.

The Haunted House in Antalya

While in Turkey we generally encounter horror elements where Islamic influence is strong, like jinn, or elements from pre-Islamic Turkish beliefs like ghosts, ogres, and karakoncolos, it’s possible, albeit rarely, to come across urban legends featuring more Western horror elements like “fairies.” The haunted apartment of Antalya is one of these. This building, located in Antalya’s Kırcami neighborhood and known as the “Haunted Apartment,” stands out for being across from a cemetery. According to rumors, a woman previously went insane in the building and killed her mother, and this event was associated with paranormal entities. For years, no one wanted to live in the apartment, and strange events were claimed to have occurred, such as products in the building’s market scattering by themselves and tremors. Today, the apartment houses businesses. This story has become one of Antalya’s most famous urban legends.

Apartment No. 129 Legend

The Apartment No. 129 legend, which our press hasn’t yet decided whether it took place in Ankara or Antalya, is associated with mysterious events experienced by two university students after a spirit-summoning session. On the night when all the building’s residents allegedly experienced violent tremors and paranormal events, no earthquake was observed in official records. After the incident, the building was abandoned, and no one returned. The strange events that occurred after the ritual in the apartment and the unknown forces form the basis of the legend.

Davutlu Village Legend

The event in Davutlu Village, known as the “Karadedeler Case,” stands out for its unrealistic details and contradictions. The paranormal events claimed to have occurred in Kırklareli in 1989 aren’t well known even among the local population. According to rumors, paranormal entities were seen in the village in 1989, people disappeared, frightening events occurred, and a journalist who came to the village to report these frightening events went missing but their torn clothes were found in the village. Strangely, no one mentioned this unsolved murder until the film called the Karadedeler Event was made. The fact that the event gained popularity after a horror film made in 2011 reveals the legend’s artificiality. The village headman complains about the village being disturbed because of such stories. This unrealistic legend is built on contradictory narratives that began with a film.

The Wooden House on İncirli Street (Resneliler Mansion)

This old wooden house standing squeezed between modern apartments in Istanbul’s Bakırköy, namely Resneliler Mansion, has been associated with the “disappearing house” legend for many years. Among the people, it’s said to vanish for a few seconds at certain times of the year, then reappear. Screaming sounds heard at night, doors opening and closing by themselves, and claims of lights turning on have elevated the mansion to “haunted house” status. However, according to research, the structure is an Ottoman residence built in the early 1900s by the brother of Resneli Niyazi Bey, a hero of the Second Constitutional Era. Today, in its neglected and decaying state, it continues to be one of Istanbul’s most interesting ghost locations both architecturally and folklorically.

Cevahir Bedesteni

In the heart of Istanbul, right in the center of the Grand Bazaar, Cevahir Bedesteni is known throughout history as the heart of commerce but also hosts an interesting “time portal” legend. This structure, built in the 15th century during the reign of Mehmed the Conqueror, was a center where precious stones, gold, and antiques were bought and sold for centuries. However, according to what’s told among the people, in the depths of the Bedesten, there’s a secret door known only to certain people, and this door opens to a different time dimension. According to rumors, members of an esoteric sect visit here on certain days of the year and “pass into another time.” Of course, there’s no evidence for any of these claims; but just like Anatolia’s other horror and mystery narratives, the Cevahir Bedesteni legend represents that magical bridge built between past and present, between belief and curiosity. History, mysticism, and imagination mix together here.

As can be seen, Turkey is a rich geography in terms of paranormal horror narratives. While some of these are truly folkloric horror narratives passed down orally, others are artificial narratives that emerged through media sensationalism or the influence of fictional works. As we saw at the beginning of the article, we emphasize again that approaching these as various folkloric elements is beneficial for everyone, and we recommend not disturbing anyone by going to film with cameras saying “there are jinn in this village,” and end our article here. See you!