Marvellous Morocco
On 2nd March 1956, Morocco gained independence from France and Spain. To celebrate this, we give you some magical Moroccan records:
Greatest number of descendants
In polygamous countries, the number of a persons descendants can become incalculable.
At the time of his death on 15 October 1992, Samuel S. Mast (USA), aged 96, of Fryburg, Pennsylvania, had 824 living descendants. The roll call comprised 11 children, 97 grandchildren, 634 great-grandchildren and 82 great-great-grandchildren.
The last Sharifian Emperor of Morocco, Moulay Ismail (1672–1727), known as The Bloodthirsty, was reputed to have fathered a total of 525 sons and 342 daughters by 1703 and achieved a 700th son in 1721.
Heaviest human pyramid
Tahar Douis (Morocco) supported 12 members of the Hassani Troupe (three levels in height) weighing 771 kg (1,700 lb) on his shoulders, at BBC TV studios, Birmingham, UK on 17 December 1979.
Largest dress
The largest dress measured 11.2 m (36 ft 8.94 in) in length and was manufactured by the Association de la Femme Artisane Agadir and displayed at the Kaftan show in Agadir, Morocco from the 7 to 11 July 2006.
Tallest minaret
The tallest minaret in the world is that of the Great Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco, measuring 200 m (656 ft). The cost of construction of the mosque was 5 billion dirhams (£360 million US$513.5 million)). Among minarets of earlier centuries the tallest is the Qutb Minar, south of New Delhi, India, built in 1194 to a height of 72.54 m (238 ft). The mosque can accommodate 25,000 worshippers in its prayer hall, which has a retractable roof and a further 80,000 outside.
Fastest run 1,500 metres
Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco) holds the record for the fastest 1,500 m in 3 minutes 26 seconds in Rome, Italy on 14 July 1998. He also holds the indoor record for the same distance (3:31.08, Stuttgart, Germany, 2 February 1997), the 2,000 outdoor record (4:44.79, Berlin, Germany, 7 September 1999) and the indoor mile record (3:48.45, Ghent, Belgium, 12 February 1997).
03 March 2008