All language subtitles for Mysteries.of.the.Abandoned.S08E02.Ruins.of.Disaster.Park.1080p.DISC.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-DoGSO_track3_[eng]

[narrator] A luxury resort
that conceals
a top-secret facility.

[Dougal] If this door
was actually being opened,

it would mean
something very dramatic
was happening outside.

Many millions of lives in
the U.S. would be in danger.

[narrator] A mysterious
complex in Bali

that's hard to place.

If you think of it as sort
of a Jurassic Park

meets Disney World,
you wouldn't be too far off.

[narrator] And a hollow
relic near Jerusalem

that emerged out of
a moment of hope.

that emerged out of
a moment of hope.

This was a time of optimism

and the building
represented that.

[narrator] Decaying relics,

ruins of lost worlds,

sites haunted by the past,

their secrets waiting
to be revealed.

On the southern tip of
the tropical island of Bali,

lies a collection
of ramshackle structures

with a mystical past.

[Jim] From the air over
this site,

you see the jungle reclaiming
all kinds of buildings

which don't appear
to be in use anymore.

[Dominic] This place
is really quite beautiful
in its own way.

There are lots of trees
around and you have

this classical
Eastern architecture.

[Rob] You can see one large

building
with this arched roof.

Only it's been burned out,
only the shell survives.

[Dominic] This place is full
of spiritual iconography,

statues of half dragon,
half serpent figures,

which suggests religious
connotations.

[narrator] These buildings
are designed to intrigue,

but this site
isn't quite what it seems.

[Rob] The whole place
is covered from head to toe

[Rob] The whole place
is covered from head to toe

in street art.

Now, if it was
indeed spiritual,

surely that wouldn't be there.

[Jim] There's places
where you feel like

you're walking into ruin
of something ancient.

But then you realize,
that kind of a facade

that in fact, everything
is relatively recent.

It was just built
to look old.

[Dominic] The biggest part
of that facade

is its this enormous
lump of earth

is its this enormous
lump of earth

covered in trees and towering
over the rest of the site.

It looks like it's a hill,
but it isn't.

It's entirely artificial.

[Rob] A lot of money was put
into this place to make

an impression on people.

It's all very Jurassic Park.

[narrator] So,
what was this place?

And why did such extensive
investment fail to pay off?

[Rob] There are lots
of legends about this place,

enough that people just
don't go there anymore.

And once you know the story
about this site,

And once you know the story
about this site,

you'd be right
to tread very carefully.

[Dominic] This is
the Taman Festival Park,

and it was designed to be
the Disneyland of Indonesia.

But something happened here

that made the plan
go terribly wrong.

[narrator]
It was opened in 1997

and cost $100 million
to build.

Ajik Atu is a local resident
and guardian of the site.

[Ajik] The owners wanted
something extraordinary.

They imagined all
forms of entertainment

would be available here.

[Dominic] This
place had it all.

They had a 3D cinema screen,
pavilions, restaurants.

They even advertised
the world's first inverted

roller coaster.

[Jim] In addition to the rides
and all the concessions,

it was also meant
to be kind of a celebration

it was also meant
to be kind of a celebration

of nature with a lot
of exotic plants, birds.

[Ajik] There used to be
a crocodile enclosure
in this area.

There were approximately
150 crocodiles,

both female and male here.

But now, the enclosure
has been taken over by weeds.

It's still dangerous
to hang out here

because there might be
starving crocodiles around.

Some are still on the loose,

so people don't come
here anymore.

[narrator] The main
attraction though,

[narrator] The main
attraction though,

was the huge mound
at the center of the park.

[Ajik] This used to be
an artificial volcano.

Every day, there was
a waterfall show

as well as a rainbow show
and even a laser show.

[Rob] Vegas has
its water fountains,

Disneyland's
got its fireworks,

Taman Festival had
this amazing technology

that could draw beautiful
shapes across the sky.

[Ajik] They expected that
people will be interested
in visiting.

[Ajik] They expected that
people will be interested
in visiting.

But after it opened,
the reality wasn't
as expected.

Their timing
couldn't have been worse.

Just before
they opened the park,

the countries of Southeast
Asia went through

a spectacular
financial crisis

that really dragged
a lot of them into deep,

deep recession.

If you remember the financial
crisis of 2008 in the U.S.

If you remember the financial
crisis of 2008 in the U.S.

and around the world,
this was a preview

of that, but it mostly
only affected Asia.

[narrator] Furthermore,

Indonesia was going through
major political upheaval.

The financial crisis
also led to the downfall

of President Suharto,
who'd ruled the country

with an iron fist
for about 30 years.

So, when he left, that led
to a lot of political turmoil

and uncertainty. It wasn't
a good climate for tourism.

The park was meant to get
over 1,000 visitors a day,

The park was meant to get
over 1,000 visitors a day,

but often only
one person turned up.

[narrator] As if that
wasn't enough,

a huge storm rolled in
and the park suffered

a dramatic stroke
of bad luck.

In 1998, around March,

there was
an extraordinary tragedy.

[Ajik] When the laser show
was in full swing,

there was a natural disaster.

Lightning struck the volcano.

The $5 million
worth of gadgetry

that was designed
to wow the people

lay a smoldering mess
of metal and glass.

[Jim] That turned out to be
a crushing blow.

They just didn't have
the money to repair

their laser lightshow
and that was supposed

to be kind
of the central draw.

The symbol of the whole park.

[narrator] Later,
other parts of the complex

suffered a similar fate.

[Ajik] This used to be a grand

[Ajik] This used to be a grand

and beautiful building

with a traditional Balinese
thatched roof.

Very beautiful and attractive.

[narrator] Yet
this rusting frame

is all that remains
of the central restaurant

after an unexplained fire.

For some,
this wasn't just bad luck.

[Dominic] Bali is
predominantly a Hindu Island,

and the Balinese have their
own interpretation

spiritually
and philosophically

of why things went wrong
at the park.

[Ajik] Taman Festival Bali
was built on approximately

[Ajik] Taman Festival Bali
was built on approximately

ten hectares of land,
which used to be an area

designated for a Pura Dalem
or "Temple of the Dead"

and managed
by the people of Sano.

[narrator] "The Temple
of the Dead."

One of three sacred
temple types in Bali

is typically dedicated
to Shiva.

In the Hindu religion,
God of Destruction,

and destroyer of evil.

But it wasn't only
this temple

that was built over.

that was built over.

Was there something else

behind this theme parks
premature demise?

[narrator] Taman Festival
was designed to be

the Disneyland of Indonesia,
yet it was struck down

by a series of bizarre
and unfortunate events.

For some, it was cursed.

The result of building
on the site

of a former
temple and cemetery.

[Ajik] The construction
of Taman Festival

displaced an old cemetery
of the victims

displaced an old cemetery
of the victims

of the 1974 plane crash where
107 passengers were buried.

[narrator] For the locals,

building on sacred land
was a huge mistake

and could explain why
the park was struck down

in such dramatic fashion.

[Ajik] Taman Festival being
built in a Pura Dalem

or "Template for the Dead"
area was absolutely

not something that
the spirits here desired,

especially if the development
has an element

especially if the development
has an element

of extravagance,
alcohol sales, and so on.

So, it's very significant.

[narrator] Abandoned in 2000,

the park has since
remained eerily silent,

but it's believed
the spirits live on.

There are lots of legends

and cautionary stories
about this place.

So much so that people
just don't visit anymore.

The locals say that there
are even man-eating

crocodiles on the loose.

[Ajik] So, the spirits
who got time on festival

come in many different forms.

Some are negative,
some are positive.

There are some who are
still roaming around.

We pay our respects
by carrying out

some small rituals,
so they guard us.

[narrator] With no plans
to demolish the complex,

the tropical forest is
claiming it for its own.

the tropical forest is
claiming it for its own.

Yet the reasons
behind its demise

are still heavily debated.

[Jim] When you see something
built as recently

as the 1990s that is
today completely decaying

and in disuse and disrepair,
there has to have been

some hubris involved,
some massive miscalculation,

some misreading of the market.

[Dominic] Whatever your
personal beliefs about it,

when you add up
the financial crisis,

the failed launch,
the fire in the restaurant,

and the catastrophic
thunderstorm, it seems

and the catastrophic
thunderstorm, it seems

that the odds were just never
in favor of this park.

[narrator] In the European
country of Belgium,

a series of concrete circles
hint at something

hidden from view.

[Geoff] These structures

look almost like landed
flying saucers.

[Dominic] When you get
a little bit closer,

[Dominic] When you get
a little bit closer,

you can see their guns.

In fact,
there are lots of them.

[narrator] Venture
below ground

and the true extent
of this place reveals itself.

[Dominic] There's
a maze of tunnels.

It goes on for miles
and they're a really strong

reinforced concrete.

[Lynette] It's like you're
going into a concrete
battleship.

There's everything
you need to sustain

people living
in close quarters.

[narrator] One section
suggests that whoever

was based here,
came under siege.

was based here,
came under siege.

[Lynette] The concrete
has been ripped away

from the reinforcing bar.

The metal is twisted out
of shape.

The amount of power
and blast and shock and heat

that was released here
was phenomenal.

[Dominic] This was
the scene of a pivotal moment.

It sent shockwaves
rippling out

from Belgium across Europe.

This would change history.

[Geoff] On May 10th, 1940,

something really incredible
happened here.

This like outnumbered,
outgunned,

small German detachments
landed on top

of this state-of-the-art
20th century fortification

meant to resist
the onslaught of armies.

And they took it.

It was one
of the most audacious acts

in military history.

[Tom] It was deemed
to be impregnable.

It was the largest one
fortress from Western Europe,

It was the largest one
fortress from Western Europe,

and it was taken in the enemy
hands in 36 hours.

[narrator] Tom Hendriks
is an expert

on this defensive site
and its pivotal role

in the history
of the country.

[Tom] There wasn't an official
war declaration at the time,

so everybody
was so surprised.

[narrator] So, how were
the troops stationed here

caught totally off guard
by this daring operation?

[narrator] In Belgium
are the remains

of what was one
of the largest fortresses

in the world.

Construction of this complex
began in the early 1930s,

but this
was all about defense.

There was
no appetite for war.

Belgium was ripped to shreds
in the First World War.

The battle lines had been
drawn right through

The battle lines had been
drawn right through

Belgium and the violence

and destruction bled
Belgium dry.

[narrator] In 1936,
the king announced

the country would
remain neutral

in the event of another war.

[Dominic] That absolutely
did not mean that Belgium

was going to leave
itself open to attack.

It focused
instead on defending

very specific areas that it
thought would be vulnerable

to attack by enemy forces.

to attack by enemy forces.

[narrator] With the German
border just 20 miles away,

a ring of forts
had been built

around the city of Liege.

Now, four new forts
were constructed

to further protect
the border.

The biggest was
Fort Eben-Emael.

Fort Eben-Emael was designed

to cover the critical bridges
across the Albert canal,

which would be the German
highway into Belgium.

They constructed this fortress
with everything

that they had learned
from the First World War.

[Tom] The war that took
place in trenches

[Tom] The war that took
place in trenches

and that's the reason
why they constructed

such a big fortress with many
barriers, anti-tank ditches.

Everything
to prevent an attack

by infantry men or by tanks.

[narrator]
The total surface area

is approximately 185 acres,

yet much of this site
lies hidden from view.

[Tom] Here we arrived at
what they call in French...

So, it means in English,

"The junction of the star"
and it connects five galleries

of the fortress
with each other.

of the fortress
with each other.

Now in total,
we have here a gallery system

of five kilometers
inside of the fortress.

[Dominic] The fort had
all the manpower

and supplies
to be able to hold out

and defend this part
of Belgium for months.

The planners had wargamed
every scenario

they could think of
and they believed it

to be indestructible
and totally impregnable.

[narrator] Even
by today's standards,

the firepower held here
is seriously impressive.

Here we are at
the largest gun emplacement

Here we are at
the largest gun emplacement

of the fortress like,
you could see it was equipped

with two variables of 120
millimeters and it could throw

a shell for about 17,
17 and a half kilometers.

[narrator] With this range
of ten miles,

these guns could fire
two tons of artillery

rounds at any moment.

[Geoff] The Germans
pondered this dilemma.

How do we circumvent

a fortress as sophisticated
as Eben-Emael?

If we attack it
in a conventional way,

If we attack it
in a conventional way,

it'll be a frontal
assault against

this entrenched artillery,

it'll be a really
attritional bloody battle,

it'll disjoint the whole
German war plan.

So, they decided
to do it by stealth.

[Lynette] Kurt Student,
who is one of the people

who invented the idea
of German paratroops

decides the only way
to defeat Fort Eben-Emael

is to drop people right down
on the rim.

is to drop people right down
on the rim.

[narrator] This was the first
time it had ever been

attempted in war and they
weren't just going to drop

these men from normal planes.

The Germans decided
to use a platform

that the Belgians
would never suspect.

Instead of coming
at the clanking away

and throwing up lots of dust
and smoke and noise,

they would use gliders,
they would land relatively

small detachments of German
paratroops in gliders

on the roof of these
fortresses silently

in the dead of night.

in the dead of night.

[Dominic] The roof
of the fort afforded only

a very short landing space.

So, the pilots
for the gliders trend

very specifically,
they dropped the wheels

immediately after takeoff
and they had wrapped

the nose cones of the gliders
in barbed wire

and metal strips in order
to make the craft stop
more quickly,

and in practice, they found
that they could stop

in a space of just 20 yards.

[narrator] May 10th, 1940.

4:25 a.m.

Under the cover of darkness,

the silent assassins landed,
armed with a deadly weapon.

the silent assassins landed,
armed with a deadly weapon.

Each glider could carry
a squad of seven or eight

fully armed and equipped men,

but they were carrying
something new.

[Dominic] The hollow charge.

This was a dome
shaped explosive

with a concave bottom
that focused the blast

in one direction only.

It was an absolutely
lethal bit of kit.

[Geoff] The German
paratroops had trained

on this for months,

they were expertly trained,
they knew exactly what to do.

they were expertly trained,
they knew exactly what to do.

[narrator] First,
they had to take out

the major casemates
to immobilize

the Belgian weapons.

[Tom] Here we are
at Maastricht Fort.

These casemates
was attacked by a German

group of Fallschirmjager.

They placed the tape charge
of 11 and a half kilograms

and glue on this old gun
inside against the back wall

of the gun room itself.

So, the follow
was very large.

[narrator] The Germans struck
multiple positions,

[narrator] The Germans struck
multiple positions,

causing massive destruction
to the fort,

and enabling
the Germans to get inside.

[Lynette] For the Belgian
soldiers inside,

there was instant
disorientation.

For them,

they were in the strongest
safest place in Belgium.

[narrator] The German
paratroopers

had penetrated the fortress.

But this commando raid wasn't
quite what it appeared.

But this commando raid wasn't
quite what it appeared.

[narrator] In May 1940,

a group of elite German
paratroopers landed

on top of a vast
underground fortress.

[Lynette] The gliders
were equipped

with new high explosive
shaped charges

that had never been used
in war before

and swiftly and silently,
they prepared to blast

their way into what was then
one of the biggest buildings

their way into what was then
one of the biggest buildings

in all of Europe.

[Geoff] The battle itself
inside the fort
was terrifying

for all concerned.
They would drop explosives

and smoke grenades down
the air shaft to confuse

the Belgians keep them down
below and disorganized

and on the defensive
until help arrives.

[narrator] Seeing
the tremendous damage

the hollow charges could
inflict and knowing

the Germans had backup
on its way,

the Belgians quickly
surrendered.

But it was part
of an elaborate deception.

[Lynette] German Army Group
B was pretending

to be the armored fist
that was going to smash

through northern Belgium into
France and that was a trick.

Army Group B that was
smashing past Fort Eben-Emael

was distracting everybody
from the German Army Group A

that was sneaking into France
through the back door.

that was sneaking into France
through the back door.

[Dominic] Clearly this was
a major victory operation,

and it opened up the way
for Germany's Blitzkrieg

to roll across Europe.

But more broadly,
it said a far more powerful

message to the allies.
Germany was saying

that it could take out
Europe's strongest defenses.

It was sending the simple
message that it was coming

for the allies and it did.

[Geoff] And one hesitates
to give Hitler credit

for anything
but there was a seed

of brilliance in this plan.

Landing these paratroopers
on the roof and using

Landing these paratroopers
on the roof and using

this shaped charge to blast
a hole through the parapets

and get down into the guts
of the fortress quickly

and contain the garrison
while relief columns came up

unopposed and reinforced you.

Truly brilliant.

[narrator] Fortunately,
Hitler's plans

eventually crumbled,

and Belgium was liberated
in 1944.

But this fortress
is a painful reminder

that once again,
the country had found itself

on the front lines
of a world war

on the front lines
of a world war

that laid waste to this land.

Amid the forested hills
of West Virginia,

a hunting site is so well
hidden that for decades,

no one knew it was there.

[Jim] You come around
this bend and you see

this grand sprawling hotel
in the classic style.

[Dougal] There's
this croquet lawns
and very well-tended gardens

[Dougal] There's
this croquet lawns
and very well-tended gardens

and this majestic
looking estate building.

[narrator] It looks
like one of the most upscale

resorts in America.

This grand hotel
attracted movie stars

and presidents.

[Robert] Joseph
and Rose Kennedy

honeymooned here from Boston.

[Geoff] The Duke
of Windsor comes here

with Wallis Simpson,
Nehru comes here from India,

and you've got
all manner of celebrity.

There's nothing abandoned
or disused about this place,

There's nothing abandoned
or disused about this place,

but it has a secret.

[narrator] It's almost
imperceptible,

but there's something strange
going on here.

[Geoff] You got
these green walls,

and it looks almost like
a garage door.

But it doesn't fit
with the place.

It looks armored,
it looks fortified.

[Prof. Dougal] There's
ventilation shafts

that don't seem
to be attached

to the actual complex itself.

[narrator] And inside
is a door that no one

wants to see opened.

wants to see opened.

[Dougal] If this door
was actually being opened,

it would mean
many millions of lives

in the US would be in danger.

[narrator] What links
this ominous steel door

to the incongruous
structures in the woods?

Dr. Robert Conte has worked

at Greenbrier Resort
for 30 years.

He's written the book on
the history of this place.

[Robert] Greenbrier Hotel
vendors since 1913 with lots

and lots of additions.

and lots of additions.

You can see the hotel expanded
with these banquet halls.

Then up on the hill
is the West Virginia wing.

[Geoff] You walk into
this place, you know

it's chandeliers, Persian
rugs, beautiful furniture.

I mean this place
is first class all the way.

[Robert] There is now,
and it has been

for generations one of the
finest resorts in America.

[narrator] And
this luxurious interior

is the perfect cover
for an abandoned

underground site accessed

underground site accessed

by the threatening
out of place door.

[Robert] The chances
of anybody stumbling

upon this were pretty remote.

[narrator]
And behind the door,

a deserted tunnel
leads deeper underground.

[Robert] You're looking
down a very long,

over 400-foot-long tunnel
and it's pretty spooky looking

when you don't know where
all this is leading.

[narrator]
The date of construction
offers up a clue.

1958. The height
of the Cold War.

1958. The height
of the Cold War.

It was very much built
within the assumption

of a large-scale war.

[Geoff] A whole
generation of Americans

lived in fear
of nuclear Armageddon.

[narrator] In the early 1950s,
President Dwight Eisenhower

started to plan
for a doomsday scenario.

Soviet nuclear attack
on the US.

When the Greenbrier
had been turned

into a military hospital
during the Second World War,

into a military hospital
during the Second World War,

Eisenhower had stayed here.

[Jim] When Eisenhower
became president,

he remembered
this region and realized

it might be a good place
for a special plan he had.

[narrator]
Eisenhower saw the need

for a top secret anti-nuclear
bunker.

[Robert] This whole hidden in
plain sight that was probably

the cleverness
of the whole project.

[narrator] But it had
to be built

without anyone knowing.

without anyone knowing.

So, its construction
had to coincide

with the addition of a wing
to the Greenbrier Resort.

And while they were
placing this wing

on the surface of the earth,
beside the Greenbrier Resort,

underneath, they were building
this very secret construction.

[narrator] On the surface,
work began on the hotel's

new West Virginia Wing
in 1958,

but the cover story
didn't fool everybody.

but the cover story
didn't fool everybody.

[Jim] Of course,
you can't build something

this big without people
asking a few questions.

The manager of the resort
at that time said,

but I just saw 110 urinals
being installed.

There's obviously something
else going on here.

[narrator] The construction
went over two levels.

[Dougal] The walls
are some two feet thick

with steel reinforcements
and the whole lot was capped

with a concrete roof and then
some 20 feet of earth above.

So the whole thing
was completely

encased and hidden away.

encased and hidden away.

[Robert] The bunker just about
where these buildings are,

where the fountain
is against a brick wall.

It's really just
on the other side,

there's only about
50 feet of dirt

between the bottom
of the overbuilding

and the top
of the covert building.

[Geoff] The only people
who knew about its existence,

fewer than five people
in the US government.

That's how secret it was.

[Robert] Out here
on these terraces,

there have been lots
of parties.

Those people would never
realize that underneath

the West Virginia Wing
is a secret bunker.

[narrator] By 1962,
the bunker was complete.

But who was it for?

[narrator] In West Virginia,

a massive top-secret complex
lies abandoned

below the luxury
Greenbrier Resort.

The secret of the Greenbrier
bunker was so well kept

that employees
that serve there

while this bunker
was operational,

they knew something
was there,

but they had no idea
what it was.

[Robert] I must have
walked through this corridor,

[Robert] I must have
walked through this corridor,

you know thousand times

and it never crossed my mind

that there was hidden
behind the wall

was ten ton blast door.

[narrator] And beyond the door
lie the remains

of a project that was vital

to America's nuclear
defense planning.

[Geoff] The president at the
time, Dwight D. Eisenhower,

you know, ask the question,

how do we maintain
the continuity

of the American government
during a nuclear war?

[narrator] Eisenhower
wanted to ensure

[narrator] Eisenhower
wanted to ensure

government could continue

if Washington DC
was attacked.

[Jim] The idea was
they could lead

the entire leadership
of the US government

underground to survive
a potential nuclear war.

[Robert] This was an
emergency relocation center

for the legislative branch
of the federal government.

It was big enough to hold
the members of Congress,

the Senate, and the House,
the leaders of government.

[narrator] Following
a nuclear strike,

the members of Congress
would be brought here.

the members of Congress
would be brought here.

If this door were to open,

that means something
catastrophic

has happened out there.

That meant the seat
of the federal government

was under attack and hundreds
of millions of Americans

are terrified because
their lives are hanging

in the balance at this point.

[narrator] The Congress
people who were to enter

this now deserted warren had
little idea what lay ahead.

Once you went
through this door,

Once you went
through this door,

then you just enter
this long 433-foot tunnel.

That's a long walk
to find out

what the new world
was gonna be.

[narrator] At the end
of the corridor

are the remnants
of a series of showers.

Now this is
a decontamination unit here.

So, the water would
come out along here,

a couple of nozzles on top

and that's just so that
you don't bring that fall out

that contaminated dust inside
the locker facility itself.

[narrator] Deeper inside,
the 100,000 square foot bunker

[narrator] Deeper inside,
the 100,000 square foot bunker

has everything needed
to govern the nation.

[Robert] This is where
the House of Representatives
would have met.

So, all together,
there are 435 seats,

and every one of them
would have had a microphone,

so they would have recorded
all sessions of Congress.

[Geoff] And then
the mountaineer room

with 130 seats

that would house
the United States Senate.

[Jim] They gave a lot
of thought to communications.

They had extensive facilities
for radio and television.

They even had a broadcast
room with a backdrop

They even had a broadcast
room with a backdrop

of the Capitol dome,

so they could talk
to the public on TV

as if they never
left Washington.

[narrator] The floor below

hid all the backup government
would require.

[Robert] There
were 1,100 beds.

Every one of these beds
was assigned
to a member of Congress

and when they would go
through a reelection cycle

or people retired or died
or whatever,

they had to reassign
all these beds.

[narrator] And the clinic,
12 bed hospital and pharmacy

[narrator] And the clinic,
12 bed hospital and pharmacy

were also prepared
for the worst.

The Greenbrier bunker
remained on high alert

for 30 years.

With the end of the Cold War
in the early 1990s,

many in government felt
it no longer had a use,

but they couldn't agree
on what to do with it.

[Robert] You want to get
something done,

you leak it
to the Washington Post.

[Jim] In 1992,
the Washington Post

ran a big article exposing
the existence of the bunker.

ran a big article exposing
the existence of the bunker.

Soon after that,
the government began

to decommission the facility.

[narrator] The question
of an emergency government
facility

is no less relevant today.

[Geoff] Is there a new
Greenbrier underground bunker

somewhere for Congress to go
in the event of a nuclear war?

And if so, where is it?

[narrator] In Abu Dis,
on the edge of Jerusalem,

[narrator] In Abu Dis,
on the edge of Jerusalem,

stands a monument
to a lost piece.

[Rob] It appears like
it was built recently.

The stonework is all clean
and in good condition,

but there are no windows
or no doors.

It's clear that work
ever was started here

didn't get finished.

[narrator] Inside, it appears
to have been designed

for a very specific function.

[Sascha]
And it kinda reminds you

of the Roman Senate a bit.

of the Roman Senate a bit.

You can imagine
that this was a place

where lively debate
was meant to carry on.

[narrator] Climbing through
the vacant floors,

its proximity
to the holy city

and its troubled history
becomes clear.

[Lynette]
When you're looking out

these upper windows

towards the Old City
of Jerusalem,

you can see a golden dome,
the Dome of the Rock.

[Sascha] You can see
the separation barrier

that divides Israel
and Palestine.

that divides Israel
and Palestine.

It's hard to imagine that
it wasn't somehow connected

to that conflict

that has consumed this
region for decades.

But why wasn't it
ever finished?

[narrator] Ahmed Qurei
is the former prime minister

of the Palestinian
National Authority.

It's been designed
in a very good way.

Look how beautiful it is.

Look how beautiful it is.

[narrator] In 1992, Mr. Qurei
traveled to Oslo, Norway,

for a series of secret
meetings with Israel.

It led to the momentous
Oslo Peace Accords

signed in September, 1993.

The accords created a path

towards Palestinian
self-governance

in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip

and laid the groundwork for
a more permanent peace deal.

[Lynette] The Palestine
Liberation Organization

[Lynette] The Palestine
Liberation Organization

was going to come
and take up governance

and instead of governance by
Israeli military authorities,

the Palestinian territories

would be governed
by their own rulers.

What had seemed like
an impossible quest for peace

was now on the horizon.

[narrator] Out of that
era defining deal

came this, the Palestinian
Legislative Council building

came this, the Palestinian
Legislative Council building

or parliament.

It was to become a center
of Palestinian democracy.

For the Palestinian
National Council

had been meeting
in an exile for years,

but now, finally,
because of the Oslo Accords,

they could meet here
in their own lands.

[narrator] But deciding
on the exact location

to build it
was deeply political,

even within
the Palestinian leadership.

[Lynette] To this day, it
is Israeli government policy

that Jerusalem
is the undivided capital

of the State of Israel

and the problem is that
the Palestinian Authority

is very unequivocal
that from their point of view,

Jerusalem is the capital
of the Palestinian Arab state.

[narrator] Some thought
that the town of Abu Dis

could provide an artful
solution to this problem.

could provide an artful
solution to this problem.

The line declared by Israel
as the municipal boundary

of Jerusalem runs
right past the parliament.

[Sascha]
Abu Dis was considered

by some
of the Palestinian Authority

to be part of Jerusalem.

Whether by accident
or by design,

part of the parliament
was actually located

in the Israeli side
of the line.

It's impossible to say
for certain

whether this was intentional,

whether this was intentional,

but the symbolic significance
of it was hard to ignore.

[Rob] Construction
began in 1996.

This was a time of optimism

and the building
represented that.

[narrator] As construction
progressed,

it seemed that this chamber
would soon become a place

of lively political debate.

I was the speaker
of the council.

This is the plenary were
the meetings of the council.

This is the plenary were
the meetings of the council.

There are rooms
for the speaker,

for the committees.

And upstairs
also for the employees.

[Rob] 162 seats were installed

for elected Palestinian
representatives.

It certainly looked
like it would have been

an impressive place to plan
for the state's future.

[narrator] But as the imposing
concrete barrier

that reads its way past
the building suggests,

the peace deal
and the parliament

were built on shaky ground.

were built on shaky ground.

[narrator] In Abu Dis,
on the edge of Jerusalem,

the remains
of a Palestinian Parliament

tied up in an era
defining peace process.

Awad Awad is a Palestinian
photojournalist

who witnessed
the construction

of this important building

and the events
that led to its demise.

[Awad] This room
was specially designed

for Yasser Arafat,

for the president
of the Palestine Authority

back then.

[narrator] The Oslo peace
accord signed in 1993

provided a timeline
for a more permanent deal.

But while the parliament
was still being built,

time to reach an agreement
was running out.

It really all came to a head
in the year 2000

and there was an attempt that
July to broker a peace deal

and there was an attempt that
July to broker a peace deal

under Clinton's oversight
at Camp David,

but it just didn't work.

[Lynette] Yasser Arafat,
the revered chairman

of the Palestine
Liberation Organization,

turned down an offer

for a deal
which would have given him

almost everything
the Palestinian people

had asked for.

[narrator] But almost
everything was not enough

[narrator] But almost
everything was not enough

to reach an agreement

and one of the key reasons
the talks failed

can be seen
from this very office.

That's why this place
was picked to be the office

for the president
of the Palestine authority.

We can see both
the Al Aqsa mosque

and the Dome of the Rock
mosque.

[narrator] Among
other disputes,

that two sides
could not reconcile

their conflicting
claims to Jerusalem

and the holy areas around
the Al Aqsa mosque

and the holy areas around
the Al Aqsa mosque

and events there would soon
leave this building empty

and cut off from its future.

[Lynette] Ariel Sharon,
the Israeli Leader

of the Opposition.

A hate figure
across the Arab world.

When he and a massive
Israeli security force

walked onto the plaza
of the Al Aqsa mosque,

he was putting up a finger
to the Arab population,

he was putting up a finger
to the Arab population,

to the Palestinian
population,

to the Muslim population.

[narrator] He declares
that the site,

home to some
of the holiest places

in both Islam and Judaism,

would remain under
Israeli control forever.

A wave of violence broke out
which came to be called

the Second Intifada

with Palestinian
suicide bomber attacks

in Israeli cities,

and Israeli military advances
on to the West Bank.

and Israeli military advances
on to the West Bank.

[Rob] Construction
of the building stopped,

but then will happen next
sealed its fate.

[narrator] As the torrent
of violence raged on,

Israeli forces moved
to physically separate

the two sides.

They maintain
it is necessary for security,

but it had another effect.

[Rob] The wall
made of concrete

surrounded much
of the West Bank

and it cut the parliament off
from Jerusalem.

and it cut the parliament off
from Jerusalem.

You can see just how close
it runs to the building today.

From the Palestinian
point of view,

they couldn't put their
leadership in a space

that was now cut off

from what they thought of
as their capital, Jerusalem.

This building,
which was the product

of this hard-fought
and hard-won peace process

was ultimately also
a victim of its failure.

[narrator]
Today, this forlorn ruin

has become a symbol
of a more optimistic time.

[Sascha] After decades
of fighting,

this building
showed that peace

might one day be possible.

I think that peace
is always a possibility

that the hope is always there

as long as there's people
willing to hold on to it.

as long as there's people
willing to hold on to it.

[narrator] And
the Parliament building

may yet play
a different part

in the future
of Palestinians.

Ownership of the building
was transferred

to the Al-Quds University,

but since then they've
struggled to find investment

to renovate the sites,

but they haven't given up
hope yet.

So, who knows?

One day this place might
get a positive use.