Mehmet Özyürek, dubbed by the Guinness World Records as the man with the world’s longest nose, has passed away at the age of 75.
The Türkiye native reportedly died from a heart attack. He was supposedly scheduled to undergo a brain surgery.
Mehmet’s nose measured 8.8cm (3.46in) from bridge to tip, equivalent to the length of a playing card.
“My friends used to call me Big Nose to upset me,” he once said in an interview.
“God made me like this, there is nothing that can be done in this situation.
“I learned to live in peace with my physique.”
A NOSE WITH MANY TALENTS
The Guinness World Records recognized Mehmet’s unique feature thrice: 2001, 2010, and 2021.
He regarded his peculiar nose as a “blessing” and was said to be proud of the recognition bestowed on him.
Mehmet claimed to have a sharp sense of smell, something he attributed to his famous and record-holding nose.
“I can smell something and say, 'There is a smell here.' Other people might say, 'We don't smell anything.' I tell them, 'You may not smell it, but I can,’” said Mehmet in 2021.
That’s not all as Mehmet once displayed his ability to inflate a balloon using his nose.
He did the trick in 2010 on the Italian TV show Lo Show Dei Record.
IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY
Needless to say, Mehmet made the most of his gift and thoroughly enjoyed the attention showered on him.
Mehmet told Guinness that he inherited his large nose from his family.
It was not clear, however, if there was a health or medical reason behind the extraordinary feature.
He candidly said, “It’s a genetic condition as far as I understand. 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.”
As for his passing, Mehmet’s son, Baris, said in a statement, “We are in pain. My father had a kind heart and always tried not to offend anyone. He found peace not only with his nose but also with his life."
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