Wonderland Abandoned: The Swift Fall of “Europe’s Biggest Theme Park”

Adem Altan / AFP / Getty

Wonderland Eurasia, billed as “Europe’s biggest theme park,” opened in Ankara, Turkey, in March 2019. Political turmoil, uneven ride quality, and a lack of attendance caused the massive park to close its doors permanently after less than a year of operation.

According to an AFP story, the park’s abandoned dinosaur statues now piled in fields tell a “tale of grand ambition, waste and troubles facing the long-ruling party of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.” The project, built by the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and featured 17 roller coasters and dozens of other attractions spread over a 320-acre park, which now sits empty.

More: AFP h/t: atlantic

Metin Aktas / Anadolu Agency / Getty

Adem Altan / AFP / Getty

Adem Altan / AFP / Getty

Adem Altan / AFP / Getty

Adem Altan / AFP / Getty

Adem Altan / AFP / Getty

Adem Altan / AFP / Getty

Adem Altan / AFP / Getty

Adem Altan / AFP / Getty

Adem Altan / AFP / Getty