'World's dirtiest man' in Iran dies weeks after taking first bath in more than 70 years

Villagers believe an emotional setback in Amou Haji's youth led to his fear of washing

(FILES) In this file photo taken on December 28, 2018 Amou Haji (uncle Haji) sits on the outskirts of the village of Dezhgah in the Dehram district of the southwestern Iranian Fars province. - An Iranian dubbed the "dirtiest man in the world" for not taking a shower for decades has died at the age of 94, state media said on October 25, 2022. (Photo by AFP)

Amou Haji refused to use soap and water for more than 70 years, fearing it would make him sick.

He avoided previous attempts to get him to wash, reportedly jumping out of a car when villagers tried to take him to a nearby river.

Amou Haji was a heavy smoker and years of not washing had left his skin covered in soot and pus, Iran's IRNA news agency said.

Villagers believe that he decided to live in isolation after suffering from an emotional setback in his youth.

Amou Haji, who lived in a brick shack built by concerned neighbours, finally gave in to the pressure and washed a few weeks ago.

He became ill shortly after that and died on Sunday, October 23, 2022, according to IRNA.

The “world’s dirtiest man” has died in Iran aged 94, weeks after taking his first bath, Iran’s state-linked IRNA media outlet reported.

Amou Haji, or “uncle Haji”, refused to wash since his youth after suffering an emotional setback, leading him to have a fear of bathing, according to members of Dezgah village, in Iran's southern Fars province.

His story was first reported by the Tehran Times in 2014 and since then, he had resisted local efforts to convince him to wash, reportedly jumping out of a car when villagers tried to take him to a nearby river.

Haji, who had reportedly not bathed for more than seven decades, was homeless and lived in the desert near the village, sleeping in a brick shack built for him by sympathetic neighbours.

A heavy smoker, his diet reportedly consisted of rotting porcupine meat — one of several unlikely rumours about his life, in addition to a story that he drank water from a rusty oil can — perhaps a more likely cause of his demise than taking a bath.

He was buried in Farashband City in Fars on Tuesday.