Long-livers work all their lives and live in villages

The oldest person in the world was Shirali Mislimov lived in village Barzavu in Azerbajan for 168 years.
Shirali was born in March, 1805 and died in September, 1973. For 150 years he worked as a herder, and walked 10-15 kilometers with his sheep every day. He had only spring water and, in the last years of his life, herb tea, ate cheese, fruit, vegetables and honey. Interestingly, when Shirali Mislimov was 136 years old, he married 57-year-old Khatum-Khanum and … became a father. He had a daughter. This has been the record age throughout the entire world history for a man becoming a father. In January 1973 he had medical examination: 161 centimeters tall, 56 kilograms, pulse – 76 strokes in the minute, blood pressure – 110 per 60.

Shirali did not drink spirits, neither smoked nor overate. He used to say, “One should always work, being idle makes you lazy, laziness causes death”. His father lived for110 years, and his mother lived for 90 years.

During the population census in 1989, more than 200 people aged over 100 years old were registered in the in the villages of Leriksky district in the mountains of Azerbaijan. 30 more people were approaching their 100 year anniversary. The oldest person was Shamsa Ibadova from Babagil village. She turned 137 when the census was conducted. The other villagers looked young comparing to her – Abri Salmanova was 117 years old, Shiramed Piriev was 128.

Man living throughout three centuries and having three wives

According to his passport, Gaiirkhan Iriskhanov is 113 years old. He laughs at this: he could not be so young! He says his brother was 15 years younger than him and died at the age of 120. And his parents told that Gaiirkhan was born in 1865. There was some mistake with the documents, he says.

When the war with fascist Germany broke out in 1941, he wanted to join the army, but was rejected as he was in his 70s at that time. However, the facts prove that Gaiirkhan Iriskhanov was born in Dagestan, in village Almak in 19th century, lived throughout 19th and 20th centuries and is doing well now, in 21th century. Currently he is residing in Kizilyurt town near Dagestan’s capital Makhachkala.

Gaiirkhan survived all his three wives. He had 9 children, 3 of them are alive today. He has about 100 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Gaiirkhan never came to the doctor in his life, he does not know what injections or headache are about. However, his eyesight started worsening in recent years. The old man worked for about 100 years and retired only when he turned 98.