If you happen to pass through Kalfalar village in western Turkey, say hello to the villager, 82-year-old Ibrahim Elaslan. For Elaslan really is the villager, not a villager—he is Kalfalar's sole remaining inhabitant.

Elaslan, reported Anadolu Agency on February 27, has been living alone in the village since his wife Naime passed away in 2022. Until then, for around 10 years, the Elaslan household made up the last remaining inhabitants of Kalfalar, in the Aegean province of Kutahya, with the village population having sharply declined largely following a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that shook the location in 1970. Some villagers reportedly moved to earthquake-proofed residences built in a nearby village, while others headed for cities. 

Kalfalar once boasted more than 100 households.

Elaslan has four children and 11 grandchildren, but they all live in other districts and villages, Anadolu reported.

The news agency chronicled Elaslan’s solitary life, telling how he roams the streets of the empty village, spends time gardening and uses the mosque to which he holds the keys. 

Elaslan was quoted as saying he actually enjoyed living alone in Kalfalar despite the difficulties, and he was unwilling to move in with his children because he felt he “represented” his village.

He also told how he did not want to leave Kalfalar until he died, adding: “When I am bored, I go to the nearby villages for shopping. I go to the coffee house, and visit my wife’s grave in Orencik village.”

The muhktar (village head) of Orencik, Ahmet Acar, told Anadolu. “Many of the homes in Kalfalar have collapsed. Only Uncle Ibrahim is left there.”