A man known globally as the “world’s dirtiest human” — who avoided bathing for over six decades — has died, just months after he finally washed for the first time. The hermit, identified as Amou Haji, 94, lived in a remote village in southern Iran and became an unlikely symbol of endurance and eccentricity for living what many believed to be the most extreme lifestyle on Earth.
According to Iranian state media, Haji passed away peacefully in his small brick hut in the village of Dejgah, in the Fars province. Locals said the man, who was revered and pitied in equal measure, had recently been persuaded by concerned villagers to take a bath — something he had refused to do for more than half a century. Within weeks of washing, he suddenly fell ill and died.
“He was terrified that bathing would make him sick,” a resident told The Guardian. “For years, he believed cleanliness would bring him bad luck. When he finally agreed to wash, it was because everyone insisted he needed it. But after that, he never recovered.”
“Iran’s ‘dirtiest man,’ who hadn’t bathed in 60 years, dies at 94 shortly after washing.” @PopBase
Nicknamed “Amou Haji,” which translates roughly to “Uncle Haji,” he lived in isolation for most of his adult life, surviving on scraps, dead animals, and muddy water he scooped from puddles. His skin had darkened to a leathery grey hue, and his hair had fused into matted clumps from decades of dirt and ash. Despite his appearance, locals described him as gentle and surprisingly sharp-minded.
“He was always smiling,” said villager Hassan Golshani. “He said the world was full of hypocrisy, and washing only made people dirty on the inside. It sounds strange, but in his way, he made sense.”
For decades, scientists and journalists from around the world sought him out, intrigued by how a man who hadn’t bathed, brushed his teeth, or eaten clean food in 60 years could still survive. A 2014 documentary titled The Strange Life of Amou Haji chronicled his routines — smoking animal feces, drinking water from rusted cans, and sleeping in a dirt pit that he called “home.”
Health experts were stunned that Haji lived so long without hygiene or medical care. “In theory, he should have died decades ago from infection,” said epidemiologist Dr. Nasir Ramezani. “But his body seems to have adapted to his environment in ways we don’t yet understand. It’s a paradox of the human immune system.”
“Scientists said Amou Haji’s immune system may have built extraordinary tolerance after 60 years without soap.” @buzzingpop
Villagers often brought him food — mostly rotten meat or animal carcasses he preferred over cooked meals. He reportedly rejected fresh produce, claiming it made him sick. He was known to chain-smoke several cigarettes at once and occasionally light them using an open flame from a metal pipe filled with animal droppings.
Despite his lifestyle, those who knew him insist he was not insane. “He was just different,” one local told NBC News. “He had his reasons. He said he didn’t trust clean water or soap because it took people away from nature. He thought he was protecting himself — and maybe he was, for a long time.”
His remarkable story became a viral fascination on X and TikTok, where users debated whether his death after bathing was a coincidence or poetic tragedy. “He lived wild, dirty, and free — and when he finally conformed, he died,” one user wrote. Another posted, “Maybe his body had built its own ecosystem. Washing destroyed it.”
“Some say his skin microbes were protecting him. Once washed off, his immune system collapsed.” @etnow
Scientists have speculated that after decades without exposure to modern hygiene, Haji’s body developed an unusual microbiome — a dense population of bacteria that may have shielded him from pathogens. “The skin hosts a living barrier,” microbiologist Dr. Leila Farrokhzad explained. “Removing it suddenly could trigger immune shock. It’s not a stretch to believe that in Haji’s case, his body simply couldn’t handle the change.”
Others see his death as symbolic — a man who defied the world for sixty years, undone only when he gave in. “He was an emblem of resistance to modernity,” wrote Iranian journalist Saeed Nazemi. “He didn’t want wealth, fame, or even soap. He just wanted to be left alone. Maybe that’s why people loved him.”
According to The Independent, villagers built a small stone memorial near his hut, where people now leave candles and cigarettes in his memory. “He lived by his own rules,” said Golshani. “He may have been dirty, but he was pure — in a way none of us are.”
Researchers studying the human microbiome say Haji’s life could hold valuable clues about immunity, longevity, and the biological effects of extreme living. “He was like a living experiment,” said Dr. Amir Haddad. “Most of us would die in weeks under his conditions. But he thrived for six decades. That makes him one of the strangest and most fascinating humans we’ve ever documented.”
Though many still find his habits grotesque, his death has sparked reflection across social media about simplicity, isolation, and what it means to live on one’s own terms. “Maybe he knew something we didn’t,” one commenter wrote. “He lived longer than most people who try to stay clean.”
In the end, villagers say Amou Haji never feared death — only the modern world. “He said people die from their fears, not their filth,” said one neighbor. “He lived dirty, but he died honest. And maybe that’s cleaner than most of us will ever be.”
