Dubai's Age Of Excess (PHOTOS)

Dubai At The Height Of Extravagance (PHOTOS)

Dubai's decade of oil wealth, property speculation and wild dreams created a roster of projects that are awe inspiring in their ambition.

The world's tallest building, the world's biggest mall, islands in the shape of the world (?!) - it was almost too good to be true.

Well, perhaps it was. Time reports that some 400 projects are now stalling, including, it seems, "The World."

As the AP wrote this week, the Burj Dubai -- the world's tallest tower, which is slated to open in January -- may be the 'last hurrah' of Dubai's age of excess. "Most other of the unfinished super-projects announced in recent years, such as a second palm-shaped island or a tower to surpass the Burj Dubai, are either recession roadkill or being considered on a far smaller scale, if they are still considered at all."

And so, here is a look back at some of the more ambitious projects from this era of grandiosity. Was it all sheer decadence? You decide.

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