Sultan Kösen


Sultan Kösen is a Turkish public figure, farmer and herder of Kurdish descent who holds the Guinness World Record for tallest living male at.
Kösen's growth resulted from the condition acromegaly, caused by a tumour affecting his pituitary gland. Due to his condition, he uses crutches to walk.
Born to a Kurd family in the southeastern Turkey city Mardin, he is the seventh tallest man in history.

Biography

Kösen, a Turkish man of ethnic Kurd descent, was born in Mardin, a city in southeastern Turkey. Kösen was unable to complete his education because of his height, he instead worked part-time as a farmer. He describes the advantages of being tall as being able to see a great distance and being able to help his family with domestic tasks such as changing light bulbs and hanging curtains. He lists disadvantages as not being able to find clothes for his legs measuring and for his arms with a sleeve length measuring or shoes that fit, as well as finding it difficult to fit into an average-sized car.
Starting in 2010, Kösen received Gamma Knife treatment for his pituitary tumour at the University of Virginia Medical School and was provided with medication to control his excessive levels of growth hormone. It was confirmed in March 2012 that the treatment had been effective in halting Kösen's growth.
In October 2013, Kösen married Syrian-born Merve Dibo, who is ten years his junior. In an interview, he said that his biggest problem with his wife is communication, as he spoke Turkish but his wife spoke only Arabic.
On 13 November 2014, as part of Guinness World Records Day, Kösen met, for the first time, the world's shortest man ever, Chandra Bahadur Dangi, at an event in London.
In 2014, Kösen joined the Magic Circus of Samoa and participated in various shows around the world.

Records

On 25 August 2009, Kösen's standing height was recorded at in his home country by Guinness World Records, overtaking former world record holder Bao Xishun who stands tall. Kösen also holds the current Guinness record for the largest hands at, and the second largest feet at and .
On 25 August 2010, according to the University of Virginia, a height of up to had been confirmed by doctors, who stated that this might be Kösen's actual height, artificially lowered by scoliosis and bad posture.
On 9 February 2011, Kösen was remeasured by Guinness World Records at. They also remeasured his hands at, which broke his previous record.