Zaro Ağa in America

Bertram Wagstaff Mills (August 1873 – 16 April 1938) was a British circus owner originally from Paddington, London, who ran the Bertram Mills Circus. His circus became famous in the UK for its Christmas shows at Olympia in West London televised in 1938, 1946 and 1947. His troupe was the last to perform with live animals on the Drury Lane Theatre stage.

Zaro Aga came to Constantinople (Istanbul) at the age of 17 and began to work as “hammal”; load carriers and porters for a hundred years (!) He got a son when he was 90 years old. He married 12 times and had 28 children. Among his 28 children, only his 80-year-old daughter survived him. It’s no joke to say he lived for three centuries. 

He was discovered by an American archeology expedition in Constantinople. He was very well received in the United States.

Because Zaro Agha is from the ancient mountainous town of Bitlis province in – not far from Caucasus. These mountainous areas are known for their record long aged old men and women. We have always seen their image of yogurt and milk packages in many countries. Many explorers, including Marco Polo, Hörnle and Rich, have expressed their admiration of the surprisingly good health of the ages in Kurdistan.

"What we know about Zaro Agha is limited to his own accounts. According to this account, Zaro Agha arrived in Istanbul from Bitlis at a young age and began working as a laborer and porter. He worked on the construction of the Selimiye Barracks (1800-1825) and the Ortaköy Mosque (1853). Later, he became a steward for Kurdish porters in Istanbul and finally worked as a porter at the customs office. In 1924, during the reign of Istanbul Mayor Dr. Emin Erkul, he began working as a serhademe (chief janitor) on the Istanbul Municipality Council. He held this position until 1934, except for a lengthy trip to the United States. Before we forget, let's mention another job he held, which was very short. He started working as a model at the İnas Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi (Girls' Fine Arts Academy), which opened in 1914, but he ran away after three days, saying, "The girls were always looking at me...Taken" to Italy in 1925, to the United States in 1930, and to England in 1931, Zaro Agha attracted the attention of the international press, appearing in numerous newspapers and magazines alongside the kings, queens, artists, and actresses who were the subject of the tabloid news of the time.

Taken to America to be promoted by an anti-alcohol society as a "miracle of physical and mental well-being," Zaro Agha attended receptions and meetings organized in his name during his stay there and was forced to work in circuses. From the day he arrived in America on July 18, 1930, until his departure nine months later, he appeared in the American press almost daily, attending balls and receptions. Overwhelmed by the attention of American women, driven by curiosity and admiration, Zaro Agha continued to receive marriage proposals even after his return home. In America, women often paid $10 to have their picture taken with him and $15 to kiss him...Zaro Agha would remain at his home in Tophane until 1934, as he had always done, and would occasionally make newspaper headlines. Zaro Agha maintained his physical health until the final months of his life, and his mental health until his final breath. He passed away on June 29, 1934, after falling ill and being admitted to Şişli Children's Hospital." Feza KÜRKÇÜOĞLU SOURCE

Zaro Agha, 156-year-old Turk, Arriving in New YorkZaro Agha, The oldest man in the world, being accompanied by his great-great-grandson, Ashuit Nussa 33, as he arrived in New York for the first time in the 156 years of his life. Nussa acts as interpreter for to his eleventh wife. He denies that he is seeking a mate in America. Through his interpreter he made it known to newspapermen that "The first hundred years are the Hardest." July 18, 1930. (Photo by International Newsphotos Inc.)

Born c. 1777? Mutki

, Ottoman Empire

Occupation Porter, laborer, doorman

Died 1933, Istanbul Province, Turkey

ZARO AGA IN AMERICA - In July 1930, a passenger on the deck of a ship docked in New York Harbor gazed at the skyscrapers that dotted the city's skyline. He was older than the stories of the skyscrapers before him! He came from Istanbul, and his name was Zaro Agha. That year, the United States was 154 years old, and Zaro Agha was 153. In other words, the United States was one year older than our Zaro Agha.

When Zaro Agha was born in 1777 in the village of Merment, Bitlis, none of New York's skyscrapers had yet been born. Zaro Agha was greeted with a grand ceremony, and reporters had been watching for days. The photograph of the world's tallest living man appeared in the newspapers the next day.

An American named Hermen Norden invited Zaro Agha. Did Zaro Agha come to tour the United States? What a trip! Norden's goal was to have Americans take photos with Zaro Agha. Those who entered the circus tent to see the world's oldest man could take a photo with him for $10. If you wanted to pose with Zaro Agha kissing him, you had to pay an additional $5.

Zaro Agha came to Istanbul to earn a living. He worked on the construction of the Ortaköy Mosque and the Nusretiye Mosque. After earning money, he returned to his village. He married in the village and returned to Istanbul. He began working as a porter at the customs office. He was so strong that he became the Chamberlain of Porters. Meanwhile, he participated in the Russian War and was wounded in his leg. When Zaro Agha recovered, he returned to his job. He founded the first Porters Organization in our history. Zaro Agha outlived 10 sultans. He also witnessed the founding of the Republic. He met with Mustafa Kemal twice. When he met with Mustafa Kemal, he addressed him as "Sultan" and said he had done a great job but criticized his excessive freedom for women.

Zaro Agha witnessed countless earthquakes, fires, and wars. He never collapsed, bearing the weight of them all. But the fact that the old giant was paraded around like a circus animal in exchange for money in foreign hands resented him. Someone was profiting off Zaro Agha, who earned his living by carrying loads on his back, being paraded for nine months!

Mavi Boncuk | 

Zaro Aga (Turkish: Zaro Ağa, Kurdish: Zaro Axa‎) was a Turkish-Kurdish man who claimed to be one of the longest-living humans ever. Aga was born in Medan village (present-day: Meydan ) in Mutki (Bitlis Province, Ottoman Empire), worked as a construction worker when he was young, and then moved to Istanbul, where he worked as a porter and finally retired as a janitor.

He was a major attraction to popular press during his last years as allegedly the world's oldest living man and one who had traveled to many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Italy. His body was sent to the US for research purposes after he died.

Throughout his long life, Zaro Ağa witnessed the world around him change dramatically. He experienced at least five wars and saw the passing of no fewer than ten Ottoman sultans. He also witnessed the proclamation of Turkish independence and the election of its first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Ağa claimed to have spoken to him twice and even counseled him.

Ağa disagreed with Atatürk's tolerant attitude toward women's freedoms. According to the ancient Turk, women should have long hair and should be expected to wear skirts. He also considered it inappropriate for women to be in public.

Ağa also claimed to have shaken hands with none other than Napoleon Bonaparte and claimed to have fought in no fewer than six different wars. He is said to have fought his last battle at the age of 100, at the Battle of Pleven in 1877.

He claimed birth between 1774 and 1777, and died on 29 June 1934 in Istanbul, Turkey. He was allegedly aged 157 when he died and thus claimed to be one of the longest-living humans ever.

Zaro Agha died in 1934 at the age of 157. An autopsy revealed that despite his considerable age, Zaro Agha had numerous health problems. This included tuberculosis, an enlarged heart, cerebral artery occlusions, and the presence of three kidneys.

The rumors in American sources that he died in America likely stem from Zaro Agha's residence there for a time, and the fact that his body was requested and sent for examination by American scientists after his death. There are also claims that his actual age at death was 164.

Zaro Agha participated in six wars and was married seven times, according to some sources, thirteen times, and according to another, twenty-nine times. He had 13 children, five of whom were daughters, and 29 grandchildren.

Sources: Sunay Akın, Moon Thief, İş Bankası Culture Publications

The world’s oldest man on sightseeing with company of two American ladies on the world’s higest building: The Empire State Building

There is a debate as to his actual age when he died. In his 1976 book Arthur C. Custance cites a "News Review" article from 22 December 1938, wherein a number of instances of individuals who survived to remarkable ages were given, among whom was a Kurdish man named Zaro Aga who died in the United States in 1933 at the age of 164 years. Nevertheless, according to the death certificate given by his doctor, Zaro Aga's age was 157. He died in Istanbul, although there exists some confusion about the death place, probably because the body was sent to the U.S. right after his death.

When Zaro Ağa died in Istanbul at the age of 157, and was buried in Eyüp Cemetery in 1934, while his 65-year-old daughter, Güllü Hanım, cried out in sobs: “My Agha, my Agha, He left this world without having had enough!”

Zaro Agha in Paris on November 21, 1921, at the age of 146.

However, an investigative report published by Walter Bowerman in 1939 indicated that Zaro Aga was around 97, not 157.

Mevlüt Çelebi’s [2]book “The World’s Longest Living Man: Zaro Aga (1777 – 1934),” published by Libra in 2012, 

[ISBN

9786054326204]

Zaro Aga teaches us important lessons from his lifelong healthy life.

Zaro Aga, who lived in a modest house in Beyoğlu, Istanbul, always had dinner early in the evening. Dinner was usually just ayran or yoghurt and bread as an accompaniment. It was learned that Zaro Aga had maintained this habit for 100 years. At every opportunity, he told everyone around him that yogurt was the secret of his youth and health. It is known that he had never visited a doctor. It is also known that our Agha, whose fame extended to America, worked in circuses in the new continent with his old body. He is featured on stage as “the oldest man in the world.”

Adding to a life spent on yogurt and bread, Zaro Agha’s story is a testament to the power of ‘always working’. Despite his age, he continued to work in circuses until his last years, showcasing his resilience and determination. His cause of death in 1934 was an enlarged heart and chronic tuberculosis in his lungs, a testament to his active and vibrant life.

According to official records, Zaro Agha, born in Bitlis in 1777 and died in Istanbul in 1934, generated considerable interest in the Turkish and international public during his lifetime as the "world's oldest man." Considering the last decade of his life, no ordinary person's life was followed as closely as his; almost everything, from the secrets of his longevity to his attraction to women, was intrigued. The press, witness to many significant events and figures in recent history, transformed Zaro Agha into Türkiye's first media star. His death resonated with the Turkish and international public as if a "hero" had passed away.

This study is compiled primarily from press reports from the 1920s and 1930s, along with some original archival documents about Zaro Agha. However, it also draws on American, British, and Italian newspapers. Zaro Agha has recently re-entered the public spotlight in the context of healthy eating and the secrets of longevity. This work, which examines Zaro's life in detail, aims to help us properly understand this colorful figure, who is not yet widely known.

Contents

Who is Zaro Agha?
Zaro on Stage
Atatürk Presents Zaro with 100 Lira
Türkiye's First Media Star
Zaro in Italy
Zaro on the Road to Fame!
Advertising Star Zaro Agha
Give Your Hand, America!
Zaro Agha's Days in England
Returning to Home
Zaro at the Izmir Fair
Zaro's Rivals
Zaro's Marriages
Nearing the End
Zaros Die Too!
Zaro Agha's Burial
The World Also Weeps for Zaro
What Followed
Autopsy Report
After Zaro...
Zaro Agha from Yesterday to Today
Our Zaro

[2] Mevlüt Çeleb was born in 1964 in Nevşehir, Ürgüp. He completed his primary and secondary education in his hometown of Başdere. He completed his high school education at Kayseri Atatürk High School. He graduated from the History Department of Ege University in 1986. That same year, he began his master's degree at the Atatürk Principles and Revolutionary History Institute at Dokuz Eylül University and began working as a lecturer at the Atatürk Principles and Revolutionary History Department of Ege University. In his master's and doctoral theses, he studied Turkish Italian relations during the Turkish War of Independence. After completing his doctorate, he worked as an assistant professor at Manisa Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He conducted research in archives and libraries in Italy with scholarships provided by the Turkish Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He currently teaches the History of the Turkish Republic in the History Department of the Faculty of Letters at Ege University. Çelebi is married with two sons and speaks English and Italian.

Further reading

I. Schükrü Aksel, Über das Gehirn des „ältesten Mannes der Welt“ (Zaro Aga), Journal European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, Volume 106, Number 1 / December 1937, ISSN 0940-1334 (Print) 1433-8491, Steinkopff

A. C. Custance, Phd, The Virgin Birth and the Incarnation, Published in book form in 1976. Online Internet edition, 24 June 1997 [http://www.custance.org/old/incarnation/]

Rohat Alakom, Dünyanın En Yaşlı Adamı: Zaro Aga (1774-1934), Avesta, 2009.

Rohat Alakom, Eski İstanbul Kürtleri (1453-1925), Avesta Yayınları, 1998; ISBN 975-7112-47-X, s. 155–161.