Man ‘blessed’ with the world’s longest nose dies: Turkish 75-year-old boasted a 3½-inch snout

A man awarded the title of the world’s longest nose has died suddenly aged 75.

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.

Immensely proud of his record-breaking ‘special feature’, he also claimed his sense of smell was ‘different’ to others. 

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. 

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’, the newspaper added. 

‘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. 

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: ‘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 record breaking long nose to be caused by a ‘genetic condition’.

Studies have previously suggested nostril breadth could be linked to two genes – GLI3 and PAX1 – while the gene, RUNX2, affects the width of the nose bridge. 

Mr Özyürek told Guinness World Records: ‘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.’ 

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.