A casbah feel, sparse scene, shadow of itself, frugal image, n'est-ce pas?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sick_man_of_Europe
quotes "Sick man of Europe" is a nickname that has been used to describe a European country experiencing a time of economic difficulty and/or impoverishment. The term was first used in the mid-19th century to describe the Ottoman Empire, but has since been applied at one time or another to nearly every other mid-to-large-sized country in Europe.