Iraqi man seeks Guinness World Record for longest mustache
Hussein Abdullah with 2.4 meter long mustache. Euronews image.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – A Kurdish man in his seventies who spent many years growing his mustache claims that his extraordinary long mustache is longest in Iraq, according to Euronews.
Hussein Abdullah’s mustache is 2.4 meters (7.8 feet) long, and become part of his identity over the years. He was nicknamed ‘Abu Shawareb’ (father of mustaches) after he began growing it in the 1960s.
Abdullah lost his mustache in a welding accident that burned most of his face in 1994, but the 73 year old man has spent years since then growing it again.
Abdullah is hoping to break Guinness World Records for the longest mustache.
Abdullah’s notably long mustache brought him and his family fame where they live in Kalalah town in the northern Kurdish region.
According to traditions, most Iraqi men grow their mustaches, and followers of Yazidi and Kaki religions never shave their mustaches as a form of religious practice.
“Yes, there are people with big mustaches in Iraq, but in terms of length, no one has a mustache as long as mine,” Abdullah explained in a statement to Euronews.
Abdullah hopes to participate in mustache festivals and be recognized as the man with the longest mustache in the country.