Amou Haji had the unenviable reputation of being the filthiest man who ever lived. Imagine going a whole week without washing—it’s probably most people’s worst nightmare. Yet, one individual managed to stay away from soap for an astonishing 60 years.
This is certainly an impressive achievement, though not washing is hardly something many people would want to boast about. Nonetheless, Amou Haji, who earned the nickname ‘the world’s dirtiest man,’ didn’t seem to mind his notorious reputation. He became known as the filthiest person to ever roam the earth.
He was so encrusted with dirt that an author who visited him in Iran remarked that he ‘blended into the barren landscape’ and even ‘resembled a rock’ when he sat motionless. It’s an unusual claim to fame, to be sure, and not one that many people are in a rush to challenge.
Haji’s name is actually a term of endearment for an elderly individual, and he spent more than six decades avoiding baths. He had a deep-seated fear that being clean could cause him to fall ill. He believed that soap and water could potentially lead to diseases, so he completely avoided them, accumulating layers of ‘soot and pus’ on his skin as decades of grime built up.
At 94 years old, Haji lived between a simple hole in the ground and a modest brick shack, which the local people of the Iranian village of Dejgah had constructed for him. His approach to food and water was unconventional as well.
He reportedly favored eating rotten porcupine and the carcasses of other dead animals he stumbled upon. To wash down these grim meals, he drank from puddles or used rusty oil cans. Despite these unhealthy and truly bizarre habits, he managed to live a remarkably long life, reaching his mid-90s.
The world’s dirtiest man passed away on October 23, 2022, just a short while after the villagers had finally convinced him to take a bath.
For many years, the residents of his village had been imploring Haji to clean up. Despite their persistent efforts, he always refused. He mentioned that their offers of food, water, and attempts to bathe him made him feel ‘sad,’ indicating that Haji was quite satisfied with his peculiar way of living. According to reports from local media, he eventually yielded to the pressure and had a bath a few months before his death. Sadly, as he had feared, he fell ill shortly afterwards and passed away.
Through his life and actions, Haji certainly left a memorable legacy and sparked numerous debates about the importance of hygiene. His unique lifestyle was also highlighted in a short documentary titled The Strange Life of Amou Haji, released in 2013. Haji himself claimed that his nomadic life began after experiencing ’emotional setbacks’ following a heartbreak in his younger years
