The secrets of a mansion that used to belong to the Bin Laden family have been laid bare by a couple of urban explorers. Zek and Mae, who are behind the Urbax Vibes channel on YouTube, visited the property and its sprawling estate in Florida....CONTINUE READING
The mansion in Oakland has been sitting empty since just after the 9/11 attacks on the United States. It was once home to Khalil bin Laden – one of the 54 siblings of Osama bin Laden
After 9/11, which was orchestrated by Osama bin Laden, other members of the family quickly left the US for safety reasons. The Mediterranean-style mansion remains unoccupied more than 20 years on, although Zek and Mae noticed some open windows as they approached the main building.
Inside, it looks as though there have been some building materials left around the place, and the lack of any graffiti or vandalism gives the impression that at least someone is keeping a quiet eye on it.
The gated estate sits on the shore of Johns Lake and includes 1,200ft of private shoreline, five bedrooms and five bathrooms, a garage big enough for four cars, stables and a 3,000ft carriage house.
A stunning view from a bathroom Khalil bin Laden bought the property for his wife as a wedding gift in 1980 for the equivalent of about £1.3million.
Looking around the property – which was built in 1928 long before the Bin Ladens were on the scene – the explorers quickly found some opulent features. In the kitchen, they discovered a pullout toaster while one of the bathrooms featured a Jacuzzi with impressive views out along the shoreline.
Members of Osama bin Laden’s family used to live in the mansion
Alongside chandeliers and impressive staircases, one of the living rooms had a fountain along the wall. Meanwhile, one of the large rooms had a gallery, enabling Zek and Mae to get close to the wooden ceiling detail.
They spotted further signs of recent activity when the intrepid duo got to one of the upstairs toilets. “Somebody definitely used that,” Zek said, with Mae pointing out that the place stinks.
The snazzy built-in toaster in the kitchen Outside the house, they bumped into a couple of locals.
One of the blokes recounted the story of how Khalil bin Laden and his family were allowed to fly out of the country on September 12, 2001, after the terror attacks, despite all other planes being grounded nationwide, and how they had to leave everything behind as they were in such a hurry to leave.
The pool has seen better days
The swimming pool, meanwhile, looked as though it was once very smart, but is now filled with moss, as the luxurious mansion becomes a relic frozen in time
