Tarzan of Manisa's real name was Ahmeddin Carlak, who was born in 1899 in Samarra, Turkey. He was a poor Turcoman man from Kirkuk who lived alone in a small hut on Spil Mountain with just a bed. Though poor, he participated in World War I and the War of Independence. After the wars, he worked as a gardener in Manisa, where he planted thousands of trees to replace those burned by retreating enemies. Due to his wild appearance and love of nature, locals nicknamed him "Tarzan" after the movie character, a name which stuck and became legendary in the region. Tarzan died in 1963 and is still commemorated annually by the people of Manisa