Tuol Sleng is a portrait of cruelty. Photographs of emaciated corpses dress the rooms in a macabre wallpaper, and rusty blood spatter stains the checkered tiles—evidence of the systematic arrest, torture, and slaughter of Cambodian civilians during the haunting reign of the Khmer Rouge. Decades after playing an integral role in one of the worst mass killings of the 20th century, the former detention center now invites tourists inside to explore its history of violence.
The scene at Tuol Sleng is not unusual. Each year, millions of so-called “dark tourists” flock to war memorials, natural disaster sites, and decommissioned prisons around the world to witness what remains of their tragic pasts.
Eerie Photos of ‘Dark Tourism’ Sites Around the World