Not everyone is lucky enough to live where they would like. Some people are born in a place and due to the lack of opportunities they can never leave there. And we are sure that some of those who reside in some of the cities that we are going to show you below would prefer to be elsewhere. In contrast, other people move on purpose. And the thing is that today we are going to talk to you about some of the strangest cities in the world.
Although each city is a world (they all have their peculiarities that differentiate them from the rest), some have such a number of rarities that it is difficult to believe they exist. Would you like to join us? We assure you that you will not regret it!
Manshiyat Naser, Egypt
First of all, we want to talk about Manshiyat Naser, a place known as “Trash City”. In reality, it is not a city, but a neighborhood of Cairo in which garbage plays a major role, since its residents live by processing the waste of the 10 million inhabitants of the capital of Egypt. In addition to living surrounded by garbage, its residents do not have running water, drainage or electricity.
Najaf, Iraq
From Egypt we moved to Iraq to discover Najaf, one of the holy cities of the Shiites and a pilgrimage center for the entire Islamic world. Here is Wadi Al-Salam, considered by many to be the largest cemetery in the world (practically twice the size of Central Park in New York).
Auroville, India
We also want to talk about Auroville, a town located in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, which was founded in 1968 according to the visions of Mirra Alfassa, known as The Mother . It is an international settlement dedicated to harmonious and sustainable living. In fact, money is not used here, there are no leaders or authorities, and there is no private property.
Longyearbyen, Norway
In Europe we can also find strange cities. One of them is Longyearbyen, the capital of the Svalbard archipelago. In this place the temperatures can exceed 50 degrees below zero, but it does not lack anything: pubs, discos, churches, schools, hotels … Of course, dying here is prohibited, since the climate prevents the corpses from decomposing, converting them in attraction for wild animals.
Slab City, United States
From Norway we moved to the United States to visit Slab City, which is located in the Sonoran desert, California. Also known as The Slabs, this community located in former Marine Corps barracks , is inhabited by so-called slabers : campers, war veterans, retirees, homeless people, drug addicts … There is no running water, electricity or public services here, although neither taxes nor rents are paid. For this reason, it is known as "the last free city in the United States."
Coober Pedy, Australia
One of the rarest cities in Australia is Coober Pedy. Here, most of the residents live underground, in the old mines rehabilitated to protect themselves from the heat. Find out more about this place in our article “Coober Pedy, an underground city in Australia”.
Neft Dashlari, Azerbaijan
Neft Dashlari, an industrial city located on the Caspian Sea, off the coast of Azerbaijan, could not be missing from this list. It was founded in 1949 by the Soviet Union as an oil platform, but today it is a functional city, with more than 300 kilometers of streets and a population of about 2,000 people.
Setenil de las Bodegas, Spain
In Spain there are also strange places. One of them is Setenil de las Bodegas, one of the White Villages of Cádiz, in which many of the houses are located under the rocks , on them or inside.