The name of a place helps us form some sort of idea about it. There are many places with weird and frightening names without any real story or reason behind it. However, there are also places that got their scary names due to their remote location or extreme circumstances. Visiting such bizarre places can be exciting as you will be eager to explore the locality and find out if the name matches its reality or not. In the following places with most unusual and scary names have been listed along with the reason why they got such names.
Tombstone, Arizona:
The Old West was bloody and extremely violent. Whenever there was a little disagreement, people used to fire guns. It is no wonder that a small town in Arizona is named Tombstone. Once a prospector looking for valuable metals came to this region and he was told that instead of silver or gold he would walk right into his grave and be able to find his tombstone there. When he eventually found his silver mine, he named it The Tombstone. Tombstone lived up to its name. The brothels of this town were infamous for notoriety. The shootout incident between Wyatt Earp, his brothers and the unruly cowboys was the bloodiest incident of this town. The tourists visit this place and the cemeteries around it even today, fascinated by the name.
Golgotha, Jerusalem:
The literal meaning of the name Golgotha is the Palace of Skulls. It is a biblical place where Jesus Christ was crucified. At the same place, outside the Jerusalem city walls, many other Roman convicts were punished and killed as well. It is believed that the name of this place originated from the huge number of skulls and bones found at this place. Another theory says that the name Golgotha was given to this peculiar mound because of its skull like structure. Scholars do not agree about the exact location of the mound but still this place has attracted many pilgrims for ages.
Devil’s Island, French Guinea:
The Devil’s Island was originally a leper colony but in 1884, it suddenly turned into a penal colony. It is located just a little away from the coasts of French Guinea. The prisoners had to work relentlessly without proper clothes or food. At the Kourou camp in the Devil’s Island, around 4000 prisoners died from hunger and physical distress. Malaria and dysentery were the two common diseases that afflicted the prisoners. It is unbelievable how a sophisticated Country like France turned an island into a real hell for the convicts.
Death Valley, Nevada, California:
Death Valley is a dangerous region in the Mojave Desert of America. The 3.3 million acres of barren land is full of high mountains, salt flats, rifts and lonely valleys. The temperature in this region goes up to 100 degree Fahrenheit. The various parts of this huge region also have weird names like Black Mountains, Hell’s Gate, and Devil’s Golf Course. Without a professional guide who knows this region, you might get lost and become a victim of the extreme weather.
The Skeleton Coast, Namibia:
This coastal region located in the southwestern part of Africa has aptly been called “The Land God Made in Anger”. You will stumble across the broken and rusty pieces from broken ships. The water currents, spiteful winds and fog made many ships lose their way and crash into the beach. It is a very remote and uninhabitable area.
Summary:
The bizarre names of some regions around the world have a bad reputation and history to support their name. Some such extreme and violent regions have now become famous tourist spots.