The strange story of the man who spent 18 years in an airport

Mehran Karimi Nasseri inspired the 2004 movie The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks

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Sir Alfred Mehran (Mehran Karimi Nasseri) Photograph: Eric Fougere/VIP Images/Corbis via Getty Images
Sir Alfred Mehran (Mehran Karimi Nasseri) Photograph: Eric Fougere/VIP Images/Corbis via Getty Images

Late last year, Mehran Karimi Nasseri, died at what is believed to be the age of 77.

‘Sir Alfred’ as he later became known, was an Iranian refugee who spent the guts of two decades, living in Terminal 1 of Charles De Gaulle Airport in France.

He was arguably the most famous homeless person in the world.

Nasseri’s peculiar living circumstances were the inspiration for the 2004 movie The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks.

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But despite the global interest in his life, much of his story remains unclear.

“I think what people like about Sir Alfred and what draws people to his story, is that it’s a bit of a mystery and an enigma and a riddle,” explains Andrew Donkin, author of The Terminal Man.

In this episode, Donkin speaks to Irish Times journalist Conor Pope about Sir Alfred’s extraordinary existence within the airport and what brought him back there in his final days.

Suzanne Brennan

Suzanne Brennan

Suzanne Brennan is an audio producer at The Irish Times