He was widely known as the dirtiest man alive. But to Amou Haji of Dejgah, Iran, that was never a bad thing.
Before he died at the ripe old age of 94 in October 2022, he hadn’t bathed for almost seven decades, aside from one wash just a few months before his death. However, it’s hard to pin down the exact reason why. According to Times Now News, some locals think that he was scared of water. Others say he simply believed that cleanliness brings illness, and he remained dirty in the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle.
Almost everyone insisted that Haji endured some sort of adolescent trauma that caused him to seek a life of isolation. ZME Science reported that as a young man, he fell in love with a woman who rejected him.
Whatever the true reason for his uncleanliness, it seemed to suit Haji just fine — as did his myriad of other quirks that many of us would find completely revolting.
In the end, not only did he live with just one wash between the 1950s and 2022, he made it to the age of 94 despite conventional wisdom saying that traditional hygiene is an important part of living a long and healthy life. This is the astonishing story of Amou Haji.
