Zaro Aga: The Kurd who lived the longest in history

Zaro Aga was born to a Kurdish family in a small village called Medan village in Mutki, a Kurdish village which was then part of Bitlis Emirate. He started off working as a construction worker when he was young. Later, Zaro Aga moved to Istanbul, where he worked as a porter and eventually retired as a janitor. During his final years, he gained attention from the media for being believed to be the world’s oldest living man. He was also known for traveling to various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. After his passing, his body was sent to the United States for research purposes.

Zaro Aga made claims about his life, stating that he had personally met Napoleon and had participated in six wars. He even claimed to have fought in the Battle of Plevna at the age of 100. He was uncertain about the exact number of times he had been married, whether it was eleven or twelve, but he boasted about having approximately 36 children.

In 1931 he visited England and had a pleasant flying experience at Brooklands. He didn’t drink smoke and mainly followed a vegetarian diet. He held traditional beliefs thinking that women should have long hair and wear skirts. Additionally he believed that in Turkey women should primarily stay indoors and not be visible to strangers.

After Zaro Aga returned home his life took a more ordinary turn. He resumed his job as a coffee brewer for the local city council earning a modest monthly wage of £8. Despite the drastic change from his adventurous encounters Aga continued to have a flair for storytelling.

Every day as he brewed pot after pot of rich aromatic coffee Aga entertained the patrons of the local coffee house with his tales. He regaled them not only with the exhilarating escapades of meeting Napoleon but also with his imagined journeys to faraway places like New York and London.

Zaro Aga passed away on June 29 1934 in Istanbul Turkey. According to reports he claimed to be 170 years old at the time of his death making him one of the longest-living individuals in history.

He was a major attraction to popular press during his last years as allegedly the world’s oldest living man. In Satyajit Ray’s Bangla short story called “Spotlight there was a mention of Zaro Aga. Aga was a centenarian and played a significant role in the story.