For three years, the quaint old city of Dordrecht has watched in amazement as a local businessman's dream of building a real-life Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, became a reality. -- PHOTO: AFP
DORDRECHT (Netherlands) - FOR three years, the quaint old city of Dordrecht has watched in amazement as a local businessman's dream of building a real-life Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, became a reality.
The enormous vessel stands at an abandoned quay on the Merwede River, about 65km south of Amsterdam. Here, Johan Huibers, 52, and a team of 50 dedicated employees put the final touches to what they believe is the only life-size wooden ark in existence.
'We want to tell people about God,' the deeply religious Dutchman told AFP when asked why he undertook the project. 'We wanted to build something that can help explain the Bible in real terms.' The plan is to open what Mr Huibers, who is in construction, calls 'a Bible museum' by the end of the year, but he will allow local residents in on a one-day sneak preview later this month.
His undertaking is all the more amazing as Mr Huibers is building the replica according to ancient standards cited in the Book of Genesis, which say the boat was 300 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 50 cubits wide.
With a cubit estimated roughly as the distance between the elbow and fingertips, or a half-metre, this makes the ark's dimensions staggering - about 150m long, roughly four storeys high and some 25m across. It weighs around 3,000 tonnes, Mr Huibers said.
A massive roof protects sprawling decks where Huibers plans to place life-sized replicas of some 1,600 animal species to represent the Biblical tale of Noah, who was ordered by God to build the ark to save his family and animals of all species before the earth was swamped by a massive flood. -- AFP
The 150 metre-long Noah's ark created by Johan Huibers is pictured at an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River in Dordrecht on June 21, 2011. For the last three years the quaint old Dutch city of Dordrecht have been watching in amazement as construction businessman Johan Huibers' dream of building a 150 metre-long Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, slowly grew into a reality. At an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Amsterdam, Huibers, 52, and a team of 50 dedicated employees are slowly putting the final touches to what they believe is the only life-size wooden ark in existence. -- PHOTO: AFP
View of the 150 metre-long Noah's ark created by Dutch Johan Huibers at an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River in Dordrecht on June 21, 2011. For the last three years the quaint old Dutch city of Dordrecht have been watching in amazement as construction businessman Johan Huibers' dream of building a 150 metre-long Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, slowly grew into a reality. At an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Amsterdam, Huibers, 52, and a team of 50 dedicated employees are slowly putting the final touches to what they believe is the only life-size wooden ark in existence. -- PHOTO: AFP
Plastic monkeys are seen on the 150 metre-long Noah's ark created by Dutch Johan Huibers at an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River in Dordrecht on June 21, 2011. For the last three years the quaint old Dutch city of Dordrecht have been watching in amazement as construction businessman Johan Huibers' dream of building a 150 metre-long Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, slowly grew into a reality. At an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Amsterdam, Huibers, 52, and a team of 50 dedicated employees are slowly putting the final touches to what they believe is the only life-size wooden ark in existence. -- PHOTO: AFP
A statue decorates the 150 metre-long Noah's ark created by Dutch Johan Huibers at an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River in Dordrecht on June 21, 2011. For the last three years the quaint old Dutch city of Dordrecht have been watching in amazement as construction businessman Johan Huibers' dream of building a 150 metre-long Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, slowly grew into a reality. At an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Amsterdam, Huibers, 52, and a team of 50 dedicated employees are slowly putting the final touches to what they believe is the only life-size wooden ark in existence. -- PHOTO: AFP
A carpenter works inside the 150 metre-long Noah's ark created by Dutch Johan Huibers at an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River in Dordrecht on June 21, 2011. For the last three years the quaint old Dutch city of Dordrecht have been watching in amazement as construction businessman Johan Huibers' dream of building a 150 metre-long Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, slowly grew into a reality. At an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Amsterdam, Huibers, 52, and a team of 50 dedicated employees are slowly putting the final touches to what they believe is the only life-size wooden ark in existence. -- PHOTO: AFP
A plastic giraffe and elepahnt are seen on the 150 metre-long Noah's ark created by Dutch Johan Huibers at an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River in Dordrecht on June 21, 2011. For the last three years the quaint old Dutch city of Dordrecht have been watching in amazement as construction businessman Johan Huibers' dream of building a 150 metre-long Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, slowly grew into a reality. At an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Amsterdam, Huibers, 52, and a team of 50 dedicated employees are slowly putting the final touches to what they believe is the only life-size wooden ark in existence. -- PHOTO: AFP
A carpenter works inside the 150 metre-long Noah's ark created by Dutch Johan Huibers at an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River in Dordrecht on June 21, 2011. For the last three years the quaint old Dutch city of Dordrecht have been watching in amazement as construction businessman Johan Huibers' dream of building a 150 metre-long Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, slowly grew into a reality. At an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Amsterdam, Huibers, 52, and a team of 50 dedicated employees are slowly putting the final touches to what they believe is the only life-size wooden ark in existence. -- PHOTO: AFP
Dutch Johan Huibers poses on board of the 150 metre-long Noah's ark he created at an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River in Dordrecht on June 21, 2011. For the last three years the quaint old Dutch city of Dordrecht have been watching in amazement as construction businessman Johan Huibers' dream of building a 150 metre-long Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, slowly grew into a reality. At an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Amsterdam, Huibers, 52, and a team of 50 dedicated employees are slowly putting the final touches to what they believe is the only life-size wooden ark in existence. -- PHOTO: AFP
The 150 metre-long Noah's ark created by Dutch Johan Huibers is pictured at an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River in Dordrecht on June 21, 2011. For the last three years the quaint old Dutch city of Dordrecht have been watching in amazement as construction businessman Johan Huibers' dream of building a 150 metre-long Noah's ark, stocked with thousands of plastic animals, slowly grew into a reality. At an old abandoned quay on the Merwede River, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Amsterdam, Huibers, 52, and a team of 50 dedicated employees are slowly putting the final touches to what they believe is the only life-size wooden ark in existence. -- PHOTO: AFP
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