Given his lifestyle, many assumed Haji would be plagued by disease.
Surprisingly, research suggested otherwise.
In 2014, medical experts reportedly conducted examinations on Haji to better understand how his body had adapted to decades without modern hygiene.
According to reports, they found that he was generally healthy despite his unconventional habits.
Scientists were particularly interested in how he had avoided serious illnesses despite regularly consuming contaminated food and water.
His case challenged assumptions about cleanliness, immunity, and long-term health.
Although no one was suggesting people abandon hygiene altogether, Haji’s survival became a source of fascination among researchers.
He became a global phenomenon
As news of his lifestyle spread, Haji became something of an international curiosity.
Media outlets from around the world traveled to Iran to document his life.
His story was even turned into a documentary called The Strange Life of Amou Haji, released in 2013.
Photographs of the elderly hermit circulated widely online, with many people struggling to believe the stories were real.
Some were fascinated by his independence.
Others were horrified by his living conditions.
Either way, Haji became one of the most recognizable figures associated with extreme lifestyles.
Despite his fame, those who met him described him as a relatively peaceful and solitary man who preferred to be left alone.
Villagers often attempted to help him by offering food, water, and other necessities, but he frequently refused their assistance.
According to local reports, such efforts sometimes made him upset because they interfered with the way he had chosen to live.
Villagers finally convinced him to wash
For decades, Haji remained firm in his refusal to bathe.
However, as he entered his nineties, local residents became increasingly concerned about his wellbeing.
Eventually, after years of persuasion, they succeeded in convincing him to do something he had avoided for most of his adult life.
In 2022, Haji reportedly took his first bath in more than 60 years.
For many people in the village, it was seen as a positive step.
After decades of avoiding soap and water, the man known as the world’s dirtiest person had finally agreed to wash.
