Thanasis Paghoulatos kept the "Acropol" hotel, run by his family in Khartoum, open through all the coups, wars, and uprisings that Sudan endured until the recent war that swept through the capital this month forced him to leave. The 79-year-old Greek, who now lives at home in Athens, said with an emotional voice, "It feels like a part of my being has been taken away from me... I am about 80 years old. I have lived my whole life there, so Khartoum, or Sudan, is part of my life." Paghoulatos continued, "It has always been, from the very beginning, a family business."
Paghoulatos and his younger brothers, George and Makis, who were born in Acropol, managed the hotel for decades, and their presence and dedication in service earned it a good reputation among foreign clients. After fighting erupted between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum this week, Paghoulatos and a woman from the extended family took refuge inside the hotel with four guests and three staff members for 10 days without electricity or running water.
When fighters from the Rapid Support Forces forced them to leave the hotel, they fled on foot through streets that Paghoulatos said were filled with corpses, taking only their passports, his laptop, and their clothes. Paghoulatos, a tall and soft-spoken man who arrived in Athens this week as part of a broader mass exodus of foreign nationals, said, "We have witnessed many coups and changes, but nothing like this before." He added, "This was truly something out of this world."
In recent years, with the increase in protests in Khartoum, hotel owners decided to move in and reside there. Paghoulatos stated that even then, he never thought of leaving Sudan. He continued, "Even my last-minute moves were aimed at finding a safe place to stay... until things calm down, and then I would continue my work... but leaving Sudan? No."
The hotel is now closed, and it is not safe for any friends in Khartoum to check on the building. However, Paghoulatos still clings to the hope of returning. He said he still wants to visit "Sudan again, at least perhaps one last time... And this must happen. Because everything, everything, our work, our belongings, everything, is there. We left with nothing, absolutely nothing." The Acropol Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in the city, opened in 1952 by Panagis, Paghoulatos's father, who came to Khartoum from Greece in 1944, during the last days of World War II. The sandy-colored building in the heart of Khartoum has hosted foreign journalists, aid workers, diplomats, and businessmen throughout its 71-year history.
