Turkmen Ferris wheel in record books
Source: Agencies |
May 20, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan has earned another spot in the record books with the world's largest Ferris wheel in an enclosed space.
State newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan reported yesterday that Amanda Mochan of the Guinness Book of World Records was on hand for the unveiling of the Ferris wheel, which stands 47 meters high and cost US$90 million to construct.
This natural gas-rich nation has developed a fixation for record-breaking. In 2001, it was recognized as having woven the world's largest carpet. In 2008, it claimed the title for the world's tallest flagpole, although it has since been overtaken by North Korea, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.
The 24-cabin Ferris wheel is enclosed in a glass-fronted snow-white steel structure that also houses the Alem entertainment center in the capital Ashgabat. Facilities include a bowling alley, two cinema screens, a restaurant, and a planetarium equipped with star-gazing equipment.
The body of the structure housing the Ferris wheel is built in the shape of the eight-sided star of Oguz Khan - a legendary Turkic Khan described as the progenitor of Turkmens - and is decorated in national motifs. The roundness of the building, which is topped by a 17-meter spire, lends it the appearance of a colossal sundial hovering above a massive pedestal.
State newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan reported yesterday that Amanda Mochan of the Guinness Book of World Records was on hand for the unveiling of the Ferris wheel, which stands 47 meters high and cost US$90 million to construct.
This natural gas-rich nation has developed a fixation for record-breaking. In 2001, it was recognized as having woven the world's largest carpet. In 2008, it claimed the title for the world's tallest flagpole, although it has since been overtaken by North Korea, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.
The 24-cabin Ferris wheel is enclosed in a glass-fronted snow-white steel structure that also houses the Alem entertainment center in the capital Ashgabat. Facilities include a bowling alley, two cinema screens, a restaurant, and a planetarium equipped with star-gazing equipment.
The body of the structure housing the Ferris wheel is built in the shape of the eight-sided star of Oguz Khan - a legendary Turkic Khan described as the progenitor of Turkmens - and is decorated in national motifs. The roundness of the building, which is topped by a 17-meter spire, lends it the appearance of a colossal sundial hovering above a massive pedestal.
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