There are billions of people in the world, each with their own unique story. Some of these stories are so different from ours that they’re hard to believe. This is one of those stories—the story of a man who lived a truly unusual life.
Keep reading to discover more!
Most of us, no matter where we’re from, enjoy taking a bath or shower. It’s a regular part of life. While some people shower daily and others a few times a week, everyone agrees that staying clean is important.
But Amou Haji, a man from Iran, thought differently. He chose not to bathe for 67 years! That’s right—67 years without a single shower! And Amou Haji had his reasons, which he believed were very valid.
Amou Haji, born in 1928 in the small town of Dez Gah, Iran, lived a life that was truly his own. No one knew his real name, so people just called him “Amou Haji,” which means “old man” in Persian. Some say he lost the love of his life many years ago, which made him turn away from society and live alone.
Before dying at the age of 94 in 2022, Amou Haji was known as the 'World's Dirtiest Man.' He lived in a cinder block shack and had not bathed with water or soap for over 60 years.
— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) December 19, 2023
Haji's other peculiar habits were well documented, which included consuming roadkill, smoking a… pic.twitter.com/7yDmRdP5OC
He made his home on the edge of town, in a small shelter made of cinder blocks. Despite his unusual habits, he didn’t seem to bother anyone. In fact, the townspeople seemed to accept him as he was.
Amou Haji believed that staying dirty helped him stay healthy. So he never took a bath—not once in over 60 years! If his beard or hair got too long, he didn’t use scissors or a razor. Instead, he would set it on fire! This unusual grooming method left his skin and hair a grayish color, matching the dust and dirt around him.
Despite all of this, Amou Haji lived to the age of 94, and he was surprisingly healthy for most of his life!
When it came to drinking water, people thought he would avoid it, but they were wrong. He would drink up to five liters of water a day—but not from a clean glass or bottle. Instead, he drank from an old, rusty tin can, not caring about the dirt or rust at all.
His eating habits were just as unusual. Amou Haji preferred to find his food on the ground. Even when people offered him fresh food, he would often refuse and choose to find his own. He once declared, “Porcupine is my favorite!” He was known to eat roadkill, and didn’t mind if it was rotting or old.
And if you thought that was strange, wait until you hear about his smoking habits. Amou Haji loved to smoke—but not just cigarettes. He smoked animal dung from a pipe! And when he smoked cigarettes, he would sometimes puff on several at once!
Even with his strange diet and hygiene, Amou Haji seemed to be in good health. Dr. Gholamreza Molavi, from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences, examined him before he passed away and found something remarkable. “It’s hard to believe,” Dr. Molavi said, “but he was in good health, despite his lifestyle!”
Amou Haji did have a case of trichinosis, a parasitic infection usually caused by eating infected meat. Given his habit of eating dead animals found by the roadside, this wasn’t surprising. However, the infection didn’t seem to affect him much.
Sadly, after so many years of living in his unique way, Amou Haji passed away at the age of 94. Interestingly, he died just a few months after his neighbors convinced him to take his first bath in decades.
Amou Haji’s life was truly one of a kind. He did things his own way, even if that way seemed strange to others. His story reminds us that sometimes, the most unusual people live the longest lives.
Check out the video:
He allegedly passed away months after having his first bath:
