World’s Tallest Man and the World’s Shortest Woman Come Together in Egypt for an Unusual Reason

The names Sultan Kösen and Jyoti Amge may not ring a familiar bell when you hear them. But these are names of two Guinness World Record holders – each holding a place in the book of records for two opposing reasons. The 35 year old Kösen from Turkey is the tallest living male standing at 8 feet. And Amge is a 24-year-old woman who’s currently holding the record for the shortest woman alive, at just 2 feet. Amazingly, there is a difference of 6 feet between the two of them. The world’s tallest man and the shortest women recently made news when the two appeared together for an unlikely cause – to promote Egyptian tourism. The two have been brought together by the Egyptian government to give its ailing tourism industry the much-needed boost.

The peculiar twosome went sightseeing in Egypt in the month of January 2018, posing next to the country’s ancient monuments the Pyramids of Giza. Stunned onlookers were delighted to see the two waving out to them. The two also visited other famous sites in Egypt during their stay in the African nation such as Cairo Tower, Tahrir Square and the Egyptian Museum.

Kösen’s height anomaly is due to a pituitary tumour which led to the secretion of high levels of growth hormones. Kösen who towers over everyone has to walk with the support of a walking stick He couldn’t complete his education due to health problems caused by his towering height. He now works part-time as a farmer. Kösen is born to parents of normal height, and none of his siblings have the same problem as he does. But despite towering over everyone else in the room, Kösen does acknowledge that there are certain advantages of his height, like being able to change light bulbs and hang curtains. But he does struggle with finding the right clothes and shoes for his size. In 2009, he got married to a Syrian-born girl Merve Dibo.

Jyoti Amge is already a familiar face in American showbiz since she appeared on the television hit series American Horror Story as Ma Petit. Jyoti was diagnosed with achondroplasia a genetic disorder that results in dwarfism. On her 18th birthday, she was officially declared as the shortest women in the world, standing at 62.8 cms. She has been the subject of many documentaries and have appeared on Indian television shows such as Bigg Boss.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 28, 2018 05:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).