The former Baghdad residence of English mystery author Agatha Christie has fallen into severe decay and remains padlocked along the banks of the Tigris River. Christie visited Iraq dozens of times after meeting her archaeologist husband, Max Mallowan, there in 1930, using her experiences to write novels like Murder in Mesopotamia. A recent visit revealed signs of abandonment, including an unpaid $200 electricity bill stuffed into the door. Facing ongoing structural deterioration, the Iraqi government has offered to hand the home over to anyone willing to restore it.
Key points
The Iraqi culture ministry currently controls the decaying former residence of the famous…: The Iraqi culture ministry currently controls the decaying former residence of the famous English mystery novelist.
The author's extensive experiences across Iraq inspired celebrated books including They C…: The author's extensive experiences across Iraq inspired celebrated books including They Came to Baghdad and Murder in Mesopotamia.
The Iraqi government is offering to hand over the historic home to any entity prepared to…: The Iraqi government is offering to hand over the historic home to any entity prepared to fund its restoration.
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This, according to Iraq's culture ministry, is the one-time home of English mystery novelist Agatha Christie, on the banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad.
Fittingly, the abandoned house has its own mystery: why it's been left to decay over the last century.
Christie made dozens of trips to Iraq, including the one where she met her archaeologist husband, Max Mallowan, in 1930. They Came to Baghdad and Murder in Mesopotamia were two of her novels set in Iraq.
As for the house, it's a heritage property controlled by Iraq's culture ministry. The Iraqi government says it's willing to make the house available to anyone who will restore it. It is padlocked and literally falling down.
When we visited this month, there was a $200 electricity bill stuffed into a hole in the door — apparently reflecting years of unpaid bills in its more recent history.
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