Residence of Agha Petros in France burns to the ground

A fire destroyed Château de Novital, the former residence of 20th-century Assyrian figure Petros Elia, more known as Agha Petros, on the evening of Saturday, 20 September, according to French local media. Reports state that only the stone walls remain.

The château, abandoned for several decades, had become a favorite destination for Urbex enthusiasts, urban explorers who seek out abandoned sites that are normally off-limits to the public.

Local Assyrians in Saint-Jory, the small town outside Toulouse in southern France where the estate is located, say the château was left to decay due to an ownership dispute among Agha Petros’s grandchildren, as well as the high costs of maintenance. According to Assyrians familiar with the residence, it still had Assyrian books, writings, photos and other items left there by the Elloff family (Petros Elia had changed his surname to Elloff in France).

Petros is regarded by many Assyrians as a hero for his role during the tumultuous years of World War I and the Seyfo genocide. Yet his legacy remains contested. Some local Assyrians in Saint-Jory, whose grandparents were contemporaries of Petros, claim he was a devious manipulator who exploited the Assyrian cause to acquire the château for himself and was ultimately motivated by self-interest.