Dubai: A Dubai-based company is planning to beat the world record for publishing the largest book with a 1,500kg tome on the life of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), organisers said on Wednesday.
The pages of the book will be five metres in height — about the height of three people — and will require about four or five people just to turn one page. The printing is being done in Germany but components may be brought to Dubai to complete the process here, the organisers said.
"The idea is to bring the world's attention to Islam," said Hatem Mustafa, operations manager of Mashahad Company, the investments firm which is behind the project. Normal versions will go on sale once the mammoth book is launched in Dubai soon after Eid.
Secret details
The biography has been registered with the Guinness Book of World Records. The comprehensive biography has been written by Saudi author Dr Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Muslah.
Details of the book have not been released as organisers are keeping it secret until the launch in Dubai. But sources said the firm is planning to beat the record with 5m x 4m pages and it is likely to weigh 1,500 kg as the paper is luxury, premium paper. The book will have 420 pages. Printing is expected to take nine months.
The largest book on record currently is in Hungary and an image on the web shows a man dwarfed when standing beside it. It is four metres by 3.6 metres and weighs 1,420kg. It was made by 26 people and focuses on the Aggtelek National Park in Hungary. Printing was done on a five metre wide large format printing machine.
The sewing of the book took about five months to finish. The book is on display in Szinpetri, Hungary in a watermill at the National Park.
