Ali Akbar, 120 years old, lives in Almas  village of Tasouj, who is to be recognized as the narrator of oral history of Azerbaijan.
Reported by Fars News Agency from Tabriz, these days it is difficult to image a life over one hundred years and strange to believe that there are people around us who have witnessed not the first Pahlavi era but Ghajar. It is interesting to know that an old man lives in a foothill village in milieu of Tasouj in East Azerbaijan who is 120 years old! Twice the age of an average human being!
In a cold winter day we visited him in his house. A humble and newly built house in a new town in a village, which was destroyed by a deadly flood in 1997. The flood destroyed most of the houses in the village and killed 14.
Guided by a children in in the village, we found our way. One of his daughters welcomed us and before taking us to her father’s house she goes towards another house to call her sister.
Then two sisters return and take us to a room where an old man is sitting beneath the window in a corner. His name is Ali Akbar. Everyone says he is 120 years old but we were looking for a proof and they gave us a copy of his ID which indicates:
Name: Ali Akbar
Sur Name: Amayi
Date of Birth: 1894
Meaning! Exactly, 120 years.
Ali Akbar has been deprived from the blessing of sight. When he was couple of months old, he caught smallpox and lost sight but it never disappointed him.
His profession in the village is farming and husbandry. He travels in the surrounding cities and villages and is considered a trustee. A man, who is never tired of working; is very patient; and is very kind to everyone and treats people with honesty.
He lived single for a very long time and eventually got married. He has three daughters, two sons; 10 grand and grand –grandchildren. His wife passed away couple of months ago and he lives with one of his daughters. The other two, frequently visit him.
 Ali Akbar is now hard of hearing. However he is to be considered as the vivid oral history of this land and the historical untold has to be heard from this treasure. Poverty has prevented them from paying attention to this very fact.
Ali Akbar is healthy. Despite the fact that during 120 years he has never had the sight to witness but he has had sharp ears and is very clever and known for his enthusiasm and smartness and wisdom. He takes care of his personal affairs.
His three daughters, Zahra, Hayat and Shiva are 45 to 60 years old. During our visit they each provided some information and assisted us in asking questions from their father who is hard of hearing.
Ali Akbar is now taciturn. It might be because he can’t hear any more and he can’t see. Maybe he is still mourning loss of his wife and prefers silence.
Almas village is on the foothills and Misho and Ghale Alamdar ranges and has a delicate and wonderful climate and its wilderness and beautiful nature has indeed make it the diamond of Azarbaijan.
In the past rivers and springs would run through the village and there were strong water mills which would grind wheat for all the surrounding cities and villages. Now, there is no sign of those mills but the memory of transporting wheat to the people of other cities and villages on horses and mules still lives in old people.
Ali Akbar has ample memories of that ear and has told those stories for his family and others but now, because of loneliness and some physical disabilities he’s unable to describe them. He has valuable information on the draughts during the past century, civil wars and the wars of Iran and Russia and many important events which deserve to be preserved and recounted.
Oral history of villages and cities of Azerbaijan are as important as the written history and old images. We wish this old and historical man health and glory.

http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13931023000777
Translator: Natalie Haghverdian



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