At 117, Qamile Marra is not particularly concerned with proving she may be the world’s oldest woman — or even convincing Albanian pension officials that she is still alive.
Born under Ottoman rule, Marra turned 36 just two weeks before the end of World War II and lived through Albania’s communist dictatorship. Today, her focus remains on enjoying life in the village where she has spent almost her entire life.
“Life is beautiful, like Mount Tomorr in bloom,” she told Agence France-Presse (AFP) with a smile, referring to one of Albania’s loftiest peaks as she sat outside her home in Ferras, about 100 kilometres south of the capital, Tirana.
Surrounded by fruit trees, Marra has spent decades growing her own food and tending livestock. “You live as long as God has decreed,” she said, her deeply wrinkled face framed by a traditional white headscarf.
According to her date of birth, August 19, 1909, listed on several official documents, Marra would be two days older than Britain’s Ethel Caterham, whom Guinness World Records recognises as the world’s oldest living woman. However, Marra’s claim is yet to be formally verified.
Marra’s family, however, says it has extensive documentation supporting her age. Her relatives have contacted Guinness World Records and possess a birth certificate issued in 1945, a passport issued in 1978 and a recent identity card, all bearing the same date of birth.
Her age has also presented an unusual challenge for local authorities. According to her 80-year-old son, Hysen Marra, officials stopped her pension payments when she turned 100 because they did not believe she was still alive.
“They didn’t believe my mother was still alive,” he said, explaining that he had to provide evidence, including witness statements, to have the payments restored. Earlier this month, the government awarded her a special state pension in recognition of her age.
Marra’s daily routine offers a glimpse into a life shaped by physical activity and familiar surroundings. She rises early to sweep the yard, water her flowers and feed the chickens before settling down with her favourite coffee.
She also enjoys regular walks through her carefully tended orchard with her son, who lives with her. Along the way, she stops to pick ripe pomegranates and carries basil leaves in her pockets to enjoy their aroma.
Her son attributes her remarkable longevity to her good health and simple lifestyle, saying she has never even visited a doctor.
“She is in good health and has never taken any medication,” he said.
Her husband died 36 years ago, but she still smiles when recalling their marriage, which was arranged but, by her account, filled with affection.
“Otherwise, how could I have had seven children with him?” she said.
She has since witnessed five generations of her family, sharing in their engagements, weddings and the building of new homes and lives.
“I’ve watched them get engaged, marry and build their own homes and lives,” she said.
Among her most treasured possessions is a single photograph from her youth, showing a young woman wearing a white scarf similar to the one she wears today.
“I was 18!” she said, smiling at the memory.
Whether Guinness World Records eventually confirms her place in history remains to be seen. For Marra, however, the meaning of a long life appears to lie less in a record than in the people she loves, the routines she maintains and the simple pleasure of seeing another day.
