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Haci Kirmac, known across his hometown as "Horasanli Pala"—pala meaning "scimitar" in Turkish, a nod to his sweeping mustache—is a barber in Horasan, a district of Erzurum province in eastern Türkiye.
A father of five and grandfather of 43, he has grown a mustache passed down through three generations of his family, reaching up to 1.5 meters over 70 years and making him one of the region's most recognized figures
Kirmac has worked as a barber for 70 years, a trade he now shares with his son at their shop in central Horasan. Believed to be over 80 years old, he still cuts hair daily while maintaining the distinctive mustache that has become his trademark.
Outside his barbershop, Kirmac is known for reciting poems and singing folk songs, drawing the attention of passersby. The performances have become part of daily life in Horasan, where residents and visitors alike stop to watch and take photographs with him.
The mustache tradition in Kirmac's family began with his grandfather and continued through his father before reaching him. He has maintained and grown his own mustache since his youth, following the example set by earlier generations.
Kirmac's mustache grew longer after he watched a mustache competition broadcast on Turkish television in the 1980s. Comparing his own mustache to the contestants', he decided to grow his even longer, a decision that shaped the following decades.
At its longest, Kirmac's mustache extended to 1.5 meters. Though he has trimmed the ends periodically over the years, it remains longer than one meter today, a length he says requires extensive upkeep.
Kirmac declines to disclose either his exact age or the methods he uses to maintain his mustache, citing competition from other long-mustached men, most of whom he says have since died. He describes the maintenance process as difficult despite decades of experience.
Visitors regularly stop by the barbershop to photograph themselves with Kirmac, with children among his most frequent admirers. His son, Muhammet Kirmac, has said he is pleased by the attention shown to his father.
Muhammet Kirmac said ongoing public and media interest has sustained his father's attachment to the mustache, adding that he himself once wanted to grow one but did not.
Haci Kirmac registered for the Hajj pilgrimage a decade ago and has yet to make the trip; he has said he plans to cut his mustache in observance of the pilgrimage once completed.
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