October 3, 2025 • 9 mins
A Vacation Home with an Identical Twin.
In this edition of Odd News PAC, we take a look at a unique real estate development that promised luxury but delivered… well, something else. It's a tale of an ambitious project that came up short, but left a very lasting impression. This place is so absurd, you'll be glad you don't have to live there. We've got the full story, from the outlandish plans to the bizarre outcome.
Plus, as part of our Platinum Anniversary of comedy4cast celebration, we're sharing a classic clip from the archives. Head back to November of 2010 with us for a parody of ghost-hunting shows. In the clip, the team with a questionable name, Spirits and Hauntings Advanced Asset Management (or SHAAM for short), gets a strange call from a familiar hotel. It all goes exactly as you'd expect.
So, get ready for a trip to a strange real estate development and a classic comedy4cast clip. We think you'll enjoy both.
Lending their voices in this episode were Paul Barrie, Susie, Barely and Kim.
>> Link to Burj Al Babas on Google Maps>> Guest Star: Paul Barrie from the Window to the Magic podcast>> Guest Star: Barely from the The Barely Podcasting Podcast>> Guest Star: Susie>> Guest Star: Kim>> You can also support comedy4cast by becoming a patron on Patreon>> Or you can get Clinton a Dunkin' card or a cup of coffee via Ko-Fi>> Follow comedy4cast on BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, MeWe, and Mastodon >> Give us a call via the Super Secret Phone Line (213) 290-4451>> Also check out Clinton's other podcast, The Topic is Trek>> Certain sounds effects heard on comedy4cast are courtesy of freeSFX and FreeSound.org
Click here for a transcript of this episode.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
The comedy4cast Network. Let's dog ear that for now.
Well, hi. Clinton here. Welcome to the Dog Days of Pumpkin Spice Season.
Yes, August got away from me because life. So this is my unofficial extension of Dog Days.
(00:20):
For more information on that, go to dogdaysofpodcasting.com.
I always use Dog Days to give you 31 episodes full of some interesting,
yet totally useless, odd news.
And this year, to celebrate the Platinum Anniversary of comedy4cast,
or PAC for short, I'll end each Dog Days episode with part of a classic comedy4cast
(00:43):
episode. So, let's get started with...
Odd News PAC!
When you think of a fantasy vacation home, you might picture a castle.
Well, have we got one for you.
It has a gleaming white exterior, resplendent with gothic-inspired architectural
features, including flying buttresses, pointed arches, and ribbed vaulting.
(01:04):
There's even a bell tower, and iconic round turret built into this castle.
Walk up to the front door landing via the split staircase and step into the spacious living room.
Beyond that, you'll find a spiral staircase and a kitchen.
Upstairs, you'll find two bedrooms and a salon. There are balconies,
a private patio, and more.
But don't get too carried away with the scale. The footprint of this fairytale
(01:27):
castle is not that much greater than the average American suburban home.
The majesty comes from the vertical lines, making this vacation home feel rather impressive.
Now swing wide the bedroom window on the side of your castle and wave good morning to your neighbor.
You're sure to see them, because your dream castle is just a few feet away from
(01:47):
their home, which is an identical gothic-inspired castle, just like the one
on the other side of your vacation home. And just like the one across the street.
And all the other homes all the way down the road this way, and that way,
and the next street, and the one after that.
All exactly the same.
Welcome to Burj al-Babas, an abandoned mega-development located in northwestern
(02:10):
Türkiye, halfway between Ankara and Istanbul.
The project was aimed at the wealthy elite—perhaps those weary of Monaco and
southern France—or Arab Gulf
investors who would be interested in spending their holidays in Türkiye.
And this resort promised everything—unique villas with amenities like a built-in
elevator, underfloor heating and jacuzzis, thanks to the area's famous thermal
(02:34):
springs, and views that overlooked idyllic woodlands.
Well, the management company made it clear to prospective buyers that no alterations
could be made to the exterior of your vacation castle, or vassal, if you will.
Meaning it would forever be identical to the resort's 731 other vassals,
(02:55):
packed in tighter than a size 10 foot in a size 6 shoe.
And the underfloor heating and the jacuzzis? That ended up being too expensive,
so they were dropped from the plans.
Just like how the in-home elevators were scrapped. after the elevator shafts had been built.
We're also not sure how many of the vassals would have had magnificent views
of those idyllic Türkiye-ish woodlands.
(03:17):
Many of the units are on the same level, meaning you would have been more likely
to have a magnificent view of the back of your neighbor's villa, their identical villa.
Construction on the 732 vassals began in 2014.
By 2018, 587 were in various states of construction. But opposition to the project
from members of the local community was growing.
(03:38):
The town of Mudurnu is a potential UNESCO World Heritage Site,
which dates back to Roman times, and is celebrated for its distinctive Byzantine
and Ottoman architecture.
The mini-chateaus were completely out of place. Then, an economic crisis hit
Türkiye, and the development company went bankrupt.
Plans were put on hold. People who had purchased vassals for as much as half
(03:59):
a million dollars couldn't move in, possibly forever. However.
Nothing was 100% finished, and for some reason the richest of the rich lost
interest in a resort that looked like a castle farm. Go figure.
The vassals now sit silent, exposed to the elements and ridicule.
In case you're curious, we'll have a link in the show notes for this episode,
Drawbridge Not Included, over at comedy4cast.com, all one word with the number 4.
(04:26):
Where you can see a Google Maps overhead view of this repetitious resort.
You can also drop down to see it via Google Street View.
Just remember, there's nothing wrong with your eyesight. You are seeing double,
and triple, and a lot more.
And now, let's celebrate 20 years of comedy4cast with this classic clip.
(04:46):
For this clip, we're headed back to November of 2010, and a parody of all those
Ghost Hunter shows, and Bigfoot shows, And, well, you get the idea.
This clip is from the setup of the story. As soon as we got the call, boom, we were on our way.
(05:08):
Okay, we're rolling. Time to get some background information.
We're headed to the Venus Arms Hotel and Towers.
That's the building in the center of town, right? The one with the observation
deck on the fourth floor? Yep.
The Venus Arms is this crazy old building down in the center of town.
It has this observation deck way down on the fourth floor.
It seems like they've heard some strange noises in the building lately.
(05:31):
Carol, what do we know about the Venus Arms Hotel and Towers?
We know the place opened in 1953.
Wow, that's more than 50 years ago. Yep.
Amazing the place is still standing. They really built things to last back then.
The call came in from a Mr. Danny Hillcrest.
(05:53):
Okay, I think the first thing we need to do when we get to the hotel is speak
to this Mr. Hillcrest. Great idea.
Jacob, I've got a question. Yeah, what's that?
Why didn't we go over all this stuff when we were in the office?
Well, it's so much cooler to communicate via these walkie-talkies on the way there.
(06:13):
But wouldn't that make more sense if we weren't all in the same van?
Carol can be a little naive at times. How can we use walkie-talkies when we're not walking?
Finally, we got to the hotel. Okay, we're here. Let's go in.
(06:35):
Welcome to the Venus Arms Hotel and Towers. Boom.
Immediately we see this guy in some kind of wacky military uniform coming towards us.
Whoa, what's that all about? Can I take your bags? No thanks,
soldier. Most of the time I can usually find them again.
We're Spirits and Hauntings Advanced Asset Management.
How's that? You can call us SHAAM for short.
(06:58):
But that's with two A's. I really think we should have thought that name through
a bit more. Oh, there you are.
You, uh, know these folks, Mr. Hillcrest?
Of course I do. I can tell a SHAAM a mile away.
See what I mean? Uh, Mr. Hillcrest, you're the person who called us about your
(07:20):
apparition. I love that game.
Remove wrenched argyle. What can you tell us about what's been happening here?
Oh, we've been hearing eerie, spooky noises here at the hotel lately. What kind of noises?
That was pretty good. It almost sounded just like it.
(07:43):
Well, what do you know about that? That sounds like it could be old lady Cindy
Mendenvernanhorffen and the Venus Arms Ghost.
So then, out of nowhere, this cap guy tells us there's a ghost haunting this place.
Didn't see that coming. What happened to this Cindy Mender Mylar moped?
(08:06):
This Cindy person? Did she fall down the elevator shaft?
Die in a horrible hotel fire? Did she have a heart attack in her room and go
undiscovered for weeks?
You're a bunch of sick pups, you know that?
That about wraps it up for today's Odd News Pack.
But first, a shout out to the comedy4cast Patreon patrons,
(08:29):
including our producer-level patrons Paul Barrie from the A Window to the Magic
podcast and Kirby Bartlett-Sloan from the 20-megabyte Doctor Who podcast.
You too can support comedy4cast
and get episodes before everyone else for as little as $2 a month.
Just search for comedy4cast, all one word with the number 4, on Patreon.com.
(08:53):
Lending their voices in this episode were Paul Barrie, Susie, Barely, and Kim.
Additional voices, script, and original music by me, Clinton Alvord. Copyright 2025.
All rights reserved. Talk to you again next time. But for now,
that's it. We're done, done, done, done, done. Bye-bye.
The comedy4cast Network. Let's dog ear that for now.
Well, hi. Clinton here. Welcome to the Dog Days of Pumpkin Spice Season.
Yes, August got away from me because life. So this is my unofficial extension of Dog Days.
(00:20):
For more information on that, go to dogdaysofpodcasting.com.
I always use Dog Days to give you 31 episodes full of some interesting,
yet totally useless, odd news.
And this year, to celebrate the Platinum Anniversary of comedy4cast,
or PAC for short, I'll end each Dog Days episode with part of a classic comedy4cast
(00:43):
episode. So, let's get started with...
Odd News PAC!
When you think of a fantasy vacation home, you might picture a castle.
Well, have we got one for you.
It has a gleaming white exterior, resplendent with gothic-inspired architectural
features, including flying buttresses, pointed arches, and ribbed vaulting.
(01:04):
There's even a bell tower, and iconic round turret built into this castle.
Walk up to the front door landing via the split staircase and step into the spacious living room.
Beyond that, you'll find a spiral staircase and a kitchen.
Upstairs, you'll find two bedrooms and a salon. There are balconies,
a private patio, and more.
But don't get too carried away with the scale. The footprint of this fairytale
(01:27):
castle is not that much greater than the average American suburban home.
The majesty comes from the vertical lines, making this vacation home feel rather impressive.
Now swing wide the bedroom window on the side of your castle and wave good morning to your neighbor.
You're sure to see them, because your dream castle is just a few feet away from
(01:47):
their home, which is an identical gothic-inspired castle, just like the one
on the other side of your vacation home. And just like the one across the street.
And all the other homes all the way down the road this way, and that way,
and the next street, and the one after that.
All exactly the same.
Welcome to Burj al-Babas, an abandoned mega-development located in northwestern
(02:10):
Türkiye, halfway between Ankara and Istanbul.
The project was aimed at the wealthy elite—perhaps those weary of Monaco and
southern France—or Arab Gulf
investors who would be interested in spending their holidays in Türkiye.
And this resort promised everything—unique villas with amenities like a built-in
elevator, underfloor heating and jacuzzis, thanks to the area's famous thermal
(02:34):
springs, and views that overlooked idyllic woodlands.
Well, the management company made it clear to prospective buyers that no alterations
could be made to the exterior of your vacation castle, or vassal, if you will.
Meaning it would forever be identical to the resort's 731 other vassals,
(02:55):
packed in tighter than a size 10 foot in a size 6 shoe.
And the underfloor heating and the jacuzzis? That ended up being too expensive,
so they were dropped from the plans.
Just like how the in-home elevators were scrapped. after the elevator shafts had been built.
We're also not sure how many of the vassals would have had magnificent views
of those idyllic Türkiye-ish woodlands.
(03:17):
Many of the units are on the same level, meaning you would have been more likely
to have a magnificent view of the back of your neighbor's villa, their identical villa.
Construction on the 732 vassals began in 2014.
By 2018, 587 were in various states of construction. But opposition to the project
from members of the local community was growing.
(03:38):
The town of Mudurnu is a potential UNESCO World Heritage Site,
which dates back to Roman times, and is celebrated for its distinctive Byzantine
and Ottoman architecture.
The mini-chateaus were completely out of place. Then, an economic crisis hit
Türkiye, and the development company went bankrupt.
Plans were put on hold. People who had purchased vassals for as much as half
(03:59):
a million dollars couldn't move in, possibly forever. However.
Nothing was 100% finished, and for some reason the richest of the rich lost
interest in a resort that looked like a castle farm. Go figure.
The vassals now sit silent, exposed to the elements and ridicule.
In case you're curious, we'll have a link in the show notes for this episode,
Drawbridge Not Included, over at comedy4cast.com, all one word with the number 4.
(04:26):
Where you can see a Google Maps overhead view of this repetitious resort.
You can also drop down to see it via Google Street View.
Just remember, there's nothing wrong with your eyesight. You are seeing double,
and triple, and a lot more.
And now, let's celebrate 20 years of comedy4cast with this classic clip.
(04:46):
For this clip, we're headed back to November of 2010, and a parody of all those
Ghost Hunter shows, and Bigfoot shows, And, well, you get the idea.
This clip is from the setup of the story. As soon as we got the call, boom, we were on our way.
(05:08):
Okay, we're rolling. Time to get some background information.
We're headed to the Venus Arms Hotel and Towers.
That's the building in the center of town, right? The one with the observation
deck on the fourth floor? Yep.
The Venus Arms is this crazy old building down in the center of town.
It has this observation deck way down on the fourth floor.
It seems like they've heard some strange noises in the building lately.
(05:31):
Carol, what do we know about the Venus Arms Hotel and Towers?
We know the place opened in 1953.
Wow, that's more than 50 years ago. Yep.
Amazing the place is still standing. They really built things to last back then.
The call came in from a Mr. Danny Hillcrest.
(05:53):
Okay, I think the first thing we need to do when we get to the hotel is speak
to this Mr. Hillcrest. Great idea.
Jacob, I've got a question. Yeah, what's that?
Why didn't we go over all this stuff when we were in the office?
Well, it's so much cooler to communicate via these walkie-talkies on the way there.
(06:13):
But wouldn't that make more sense if we weren't all in the same van?
Carol can be a little naive at times. How can we use walkie-talkies when we're not walking?
Finally, we got to the hotel. Okay, we're here. Let's go in.
(06:35):
Welcome to the Venus Arms Hotel and Towers. Boom.
Immediately we see this guy in some kind of wacky military uniform coming towards us.
Whoa, what's that all about? Can I take your bags? No thanks,
soldier. Most of the time I can usually find them again.
We're Spirits and Hauntings Advanced Asset Management.
How's that? You can call us SHAAM for short.
(06:58):
But that's with two A's. I really think we should have thought that name through
a bit more. Oh, there you are.
You, uh, know these folks, Mr. Hillcrest?
Of course I do. I can tell a SHAAM a mile away.
See what I mean? Uh, Mr. Hillcrest, you're the person who called us about your
(07:20):
apparition. I love that game.
Remove wrenched argyle. What can you tell us about what's been happening here?
Oh, we've been hearing eerie, spooky noises here at the hotel lately. What kind of noises?
That was pretty good. It almost sounded just like it.
(07:43):
Well, what do you know about that? That sounds like it could be old lady Cindy
Mendenvernanhorffen and the Venus Arms Ghost.
So then, out of nowhere, this cap guy tells us there's a ghost haunting this place.
Didn't see that coming. What happened to this Cindy Mender Mylar moped?
(08:06):
This Cindy person? Did she fall down the elevator shaft?
Die in a horrible hotel fire? Did she have a heart attack in her room and go
undiscovered for weeks?
You're a bunch of sick pups, you know that?
That about wraps it up for today's Odd News Pack.
But first, a shout out to the comedy4cast Patreon patrons,
(08:29):
including our producer-level patrons Paul Barrie from the A Window to the Magic
podcast and Kirby Bartlett-Sloan from the 20-megabyte Doctor Who podcast.
You too can support comedy4cast
and get episodes before everyone else for as little as $2 a month.
Just search for comedy4cast, all one word with the number 4, on Patreon.com.
(08:53):
Lending their voices in this episode were Paul Barrie, Susie, Barely, and Kim.
Additional voices, script, and original music by me, Clinton Alvord. Copyright 2025.
All rights reserved. Talk to you again next time. But for now,
that's it. We're done, done, done, done, done. Bye-bye.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com