Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »
Countries
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan
Cities
  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Liberty Bridge replaced the destroyed Ferenc József Bridge in 1946.
Ruins of the Ferenc József Bridge
Trail marker
First Death Marker on the Trail of Death
Hunebed D27
Hunebed D27
Grotta Tanaccia
Grotta Tanaccia
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Azerbaijan Akna Ağdam

Ağdam

Azerbaijani ghost town, decaying after a war left it an armed forces buffer zone.

Akna, Azerbaijan

serflac profile photo
Added By
ser flac
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The fall of the Soviet Union left much of Eastern Europe in chaos. From the rubble of the fallen Russian behemoth, an Armenian autonomous nation called the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic arose in the nation of Azerbaijan, causing a vicious war that eventually left the town of Ağdam in ruins, completely abandoned and falling apart.

Shells bombarded the town of 40,000, reducing many of the buildings to crumbling and smoldering remains. As the invasion raged through 1993, every resident was forced to flee the area. Once the town was abandoned, the Armenian military spitefully destroyed most of the remains of the town, so it could never fall into Azerbaijani hands again.

Today, only the bombed-out skeletons of buildings remain, along with the former town's mosque, which is badly damaged and was being used to house Armenian livestock. Although the area is no longer embroiled in conflict, Ağdam is a ghost town and is used as a buffer zone by the Armenian military. As long as its status remains unchanged, this shell of a town will remain empty and decaying.

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Related Tags

Ghost Towns Ruins

Community Contributors

serflac profile photo

Added By

serflac

M margotbuff profile photo L laaber profile photo

Edited By

margotbuff, laaber

  • M margotbuff profile photo margotbuff
  • L laaber profile photo laaber

Published

January 25, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Ağdam
Akna
Azerbaijan
39.993056, 46.930556

Nearby Places

We Are Our Mountains

Stepanakert, Azerbaijan

miles away

Hunot Gorge

Şuşa, Azerbaijan

miles away

Tnjri

Skhtorashen, Azerbaijan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Asia

Places 27
Stories 1

Nearby Places

We Are Our Mountains

Stepanakert, Azerbaijan

miles away

Hunot Gorge

Şuşa, Azerbaijan

miles away

Tnjri

Skhtorashen, Azerbaijan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Asia

Places 27
Stories 1

Related Places

  • So Lo Pun

    Hong Kong

    So Lo Pun

    One of the Hakka "ghost villages" of Plover Cove famed for its haunted locked compass legend.

  • Pentidattilo was named for the hand-shaped rock on which it sits.

    Pentidattilo, Italy

    Pentidattilo

    A ghost town on the slopes of a hand-shaped rock is haunted by the story of a 17th-century murder.

  • Cabin made of old railroad ties.

    Carlin, Nevada

    Palisade

    Little is left of this formerly bustling railroad junction on the Transcontinental Railroad.

  • Abandoned Village of Malo Grablje

    Malo Grablje, Croatia

    Abandoned Village of Malo Grablje

    This deserted town in the hills of Croatia’s "party island" may have a scandalous connection to King Henry VIII.

  • Argonne Ghost Town

    Argonne, South Dakota

    Argonne Ghost Town

    Once a thriving town of 100, Argonne was abandoned around 1970.

  • Ruin near the courthouse.

    Manhattan, Nevada

    Belmont

    The second seat of Nye County, still mostly a ghost town, has become a magnet for those looking to live "away from it all."

  • Warm Springs Ghost Town

    Nye County, Nevada

    Warm Springs Ghost Town

    The only thing still moving in this town is the eponymous hot spring.

  • Tybo Mine.

    Nye County, Nevada

    Tybo

    Equipment used to mine silver and lead has been preserved in this almost-ghost town in northern Nye County.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.