Haircutter still working half a century on

By Yahya Sezgin

MUS, Turkey (AA) – Having started out as an apprentice, master barber Alaaddin Calisiye has been cutting hair for more than half a century, using a 115-year-old stall in his shop in the eastern Mus province.

The 76-year-old Calisiye has trained many masters, and despite his old age, still continues to train apprentices.

"I've been doing this job since I was nine years old. After my master passed away at the age of 80, I continued working here. My barber’s stall is 115 years old but it's still as steady as a rock," Calisiye said.

The old master noted that he had brought up five children through his profession, adding that, sadly, he had lost his wife seven years ago.

He complained that he was not able to keep up with modern hairstyles favored by today’s youth.

"There were only a few ways of cutting hair in the past… But anyway I have my old customers. They come and I cut their hair and shave them. We chat and remember the old days. That's how we spend our days in this barber shop.”

Mus has been home to many civilizations and empires throughout history, such as the Urartians, the Persians, the Romans, the Sassanids, the Byzantines as well as the Seljuks and the Ayyubids.

The city hosts numerous historical monuments dating back to these civilizations and has a significant potential for religious tourism. It is also an important center for winter tourism with its remarkable snow quality.