Dreamt up in the 1980s as a show of North Korea's Cold War might, the Ryugyong Hotel has never, even briefly, opened its doors. Instead, it's been towering above North Korean capital Pyongyang for almost 40 years – unfinished, semi-abandoned and shrouded in mystery, but not forgotten. Here, we uncover its chequered past and curious secrets.

Click through the galelry for a rare look inside the so-called 'Hotel of Doom'...