Man ‘blessed’ with the world’s longest nose dies: Turkish 75-year-old boasted a 3½-inch snout… and claimed it gave him a ‘special’ sense of smell
- Mehmet Özyürek was awarded the Guinness World Record on three occasions
- He suffered a heart attack last week before he was due to undergo brain surgery
A Turkish man awarded the title of having the world’s longest nose has died.
Adjudicators ruled Mehmet Özyürek’s nose was 8.8cm (3.46in) from bridge to tip — equivalent to the length of a playing card.
Immensely proud of his ‘special feature’, the 75-year-old also boasted that he could smell scents that family and friends could not.
According to local media reports, Mr Özyürek fell ill last week and suffered a heart attack before he was due to undergo brain surgery.
Turkish newspaper Mynet reported his funeral in the city of Artvin, in the north east of Turkey, has already taken place.
Mehmet Özyürek, from Turkey, claimed the prize three times over the course of two decades with adjudicators ruling his nose to be 8.8cm (3.46 in) from bridge to tip – equivalent to the length of a playing card. Pictured in Turkey in April 2014
Immensely proud of his record-breaking ‘special feature’, he claimed his sense of smell was ‘different’ to others. Guinness World Records measured his nose once in 2001 in LA, again in 2010 in Italy and for a final time in 2021, to confirm his record remain untouchable. Pictured in Italy in 2010
According to local media reports, the record breaker fell ill last week and suffered a heart attack before he was due to undergo brain surgery. Turkish newspaper Mynet reported Mr Özyürek’s funeral in the city of Artvin, in north east Turkey, has already taken place. Pictured in Turkey in April 2014
His son Barış reportedly said: ‘I sincerely thank the people of Artvin and their fans. We have pain.’
‘My father was very kind-hearted, he tried not to offend anyone. My father was not only at peace with his nose, he was at peace with his life.
Guinness World Records measured his nose once in 2001 in LA, again in 2010 in Italy and for a final time in 2021, to confirm his record remain untouchable.
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Speaking to the Guinness World Records in 2021, Mr Özyürek, said: ‘I love it, this feature.
‘The world likes it, Guinness World Records likes it, of course, my wife likes it too.’
He added at the time: ‘My sense of smell is different from other people.
‘I say “there is a smell here”. Other people say “we don’t smell that smell”. I say, “you may not smell it but I can”.
He understood his long nose was caused by a ‘genetic condition’.
‘There was no explanation by doctors, but I have it in my family, so my father has it, my uncles have it, I have it,’ Mr Özyürek said before his death.
His children have not appeared to have inherited his long nose however.
He said: ‘My friends used to call me Big Nose to upset me.
‘God made me like this, there is nothing that can be done in this situation.
‘I learned to live in peace with my physique.
‘I am extremely pleased to represent Turkey, the Black Sea or Artvin on an international scale.
He added: ‘Some become martyrs, some become Prime Ministers and some become record holders.’
It is unknown who will now claim the title of world’s longest nose.
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