On the banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad, an old house connected to the famous English mystery writer Agatha Christie is slowly falling down. The building is padlocked and decaying, creating its own real-life mystery: why has a historic home in Iraq been left empty for so long?
According to Iraq's culture ministry, the property was once home to Christie. The novelist made dozens of trips to Iraq and met her archaeologist husband, Max Mallowan, there in 1930. Her experiences in the country directly inspired two of her books, They Came to Baghdad and Murder in Mesopotamia.
Today, the house is a heritage property controlled by the culture ministry. The Iraqi government says it is willing to make the building available to anyone who will restore it. Even so, the structure remains abandoned and damaged, with no repairs underway.
During a visit this month, a 200-dollar electricity bill was found stuffed into a hole in the front door. The bill apparently reflects years of unpaid charges in the home's recent history, highlighting how neglected the site has become.