4 Eylül 2026 Cuma

"Groucho & Release": A Barber With a Giant Mustache, in Erzurum

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 4 August 2026)
















                 He'll shave yours but not his own!

Hacı Kırmaç, a resident of Horasan district in Erzurum, who has 
5 children and 43 grandchildren, has been maintaining his love for 
mustaches, inherited from his grandfather and father, since his youth.

Living in the district center, Kırmaç is known for his mustache, which 
he has been growing since his youth and which once reached up to 1.5 
meters in length. Continuing his love for mustaches, passed down from 
his grandfather to his father and then to himself, Kırmaç decided to 
grow his mustache even longer after watching a mustache competition 
on television in the 1980s.

Kırmaç, who became one of the well-known figures of the district over 
the years and came to be known by the nickname "Horasanlı Pala," 
continues his barbering profession, which he has been practicing for 
70 years, in the shop he runs with his son.

Kırmaç, who is known to be over 80 years old and keeps his age and 
the secret of his mustache maintenance secret from everyone, 
occasionally attracts the attention of citizens with the poems and folk 
songs he recites in front of his workplace.

Advice to customers: "keep your eyes closed".


















Hacı Kırmaç said that growing a mustache was a more common and 
beloved tradition in the past. Kırmaç, stating that his grandfather and 
father had long mustaches and that he has been passionate about 
mustaches ever since, said, "There was a mustache competition in Ankara. 
I watched it on television. His mustache wasn't even as long as mine. 
That man won the competition. I said, 'I wish I had been there, that I 
had participated in the competition.' I think I would have won. It came 
to my mind day and night. Then I started to grow it even longer."

Kırmaç, emphasizing how much he loves his mustache, noted:

"People come and take pictures with me. Maintaining my mustache is 
very difficult. I do very secret treatments. I won't tell anyone my secret; 
I have rivals. Most of my rivals have passed away. There's a secret to 
how long it stays, but I won't tell. I won't reveal my exact age or the 
treatments I use. It's become easier for me now, but the maintenance is 
very difficult. I will continue to take care of my mustache. I've been a 
barber for 70 years, and I've been growing my mustache for 70 years. 
There are also people who want to grow theirs after seeing me, but it's 
very difficult."

"What's not to like!?"

















Kırmaç stated that in previous years his mustache reached up to 1.5 
meters, and although he sometimes trimmed the ends, its length still 
exceeds 1 meter.

Muhammet Kırmaç, son of Horasanlı Pala, also expressed his 
satisfaction with the attention his father has received.  Explaining that 
his grandfather also had a fondness for mustaches, Kırmaç said, 
"Over time, the media and public interest have kept my father's love 
for his mustache alive. I also wanted to grow my mustache, but it 
didn't happen. Mustaches are beautiful; Anatolian people love 
mustaches. People come to the shop to see my father. Children 
especially love them. My father doesn't refuse any of them. He has 
no intention of cutting it. We've registered him for Hajj for 10 years. 
He hasn't been selected yet. He says he will cut it in the name of God 
if he gets selected."










Hiç yorum yok:

Yorum Gönder