Turkish man the world’s tallest, according to Guinness World Records
Kösen is the tallest man in the world. He also holds the record for the largest hands and feet, measuring at 27.5 centimeters and 36.5 centimeters, respectively.
Sultan Kösen, at 2 meters 46.5 centimeters (8 feet 1 inch), holds the Guinness world record for tallest man. He is about 10 centimeters taller than previous title-holder Bao Xishun.
The 27-year-old's hands measure 27.5 centimeters (10.8 inches) and his feet 36.5 centimeters (14.3 inches). A spokesman for Guinness World Records said that Kösen is the first person in more than a decade to be more than 8 feet in height.
Kösen was quoted by the BBC as saying that he hoped his newfound fame would bring him love for the first time.
“The first thing I want to do is have a car that I can fit in, but more than that I want to get married,” Kösen said at the launch of the 2010 edition of the Guinness World Records book in London on Wednesday. “Up until now it's been really difficult to find a girlfriend. I've never had one; they were usually scared of me. I'm hoping now I will find one,” he said, adding: “Hopefully now that I'm famous, I'll be able to meet lots of girls. I'd like to get married.”
At the ceremony, Kösen wore a specially made suit, one of the first outfits he has owned that fits correctly.
In addition to having difficulty getting clothes that are the right size, he also had to have a three-meter-long bed made. “The most difficult things are, for example, that I can't fit into a normal car. When I get into a car, it's a really tight fit. I can't go shopping like normal people, I have to have things made specially and sometimes they aren't always as fashionable. The other thing is that ceilings are low and I have to bend down through doorways,” he said.
When it comes to the upsides of his height, he said: “The good thing about being so tall is that I can see people from a long distance. The other thing is at home they use my height to change the light bulbs and hang the curtains, things like that.”
He grew normally until he was 10, but then a tumor caused him to develop a medical condition called pituitary gigantism. The tumor was removed last year, and his growth stopped.
The BBC also reported that his visit to the UK was the first time he traveled outside Turkey and that he will go on to visit the US and Germany.