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Noah's Ark in Holland

Riazat Butt

London: "He's rich, he's a businessman and he's not crazy, but be prepared for a lecture," says Bart Olmer, from Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, of 47-year-old Johan Huibers, the man who has devoted his life to building a near-faithful replica of Noah's Ark.

Near-faithful because Huibers' vessel, at 70m long and 12.5m high, is a scaled-down version of the original (at least according to the dimensions laid out in the book of Genesis), and has a coffee shop, play area and exhibition room. Oh, and admission is two euros: a small price to pay for salvation.

Construction started last June and has cost 500,000 euros so far. Huibers spends up to 10 hours a day, six days a week, on the ark and on weekends is joined by his 17-year-old son, Roy.

As far as the ark's inhabitants are concerned, Huibers will buy animals — a male and female of each - but not exotic ones: "They're too expensive. But there will be goats, cows and sheep." Kids can frolic in the play area while Mum and Dad have a coffee in the top-floor restaurant.

Huibers, a builder, is also a devout Christian and thus, in liberal Holland, in a minority. He says: "Nobody learns about Christianity any more. I hope visitors to my ark will be inspired by the experience." —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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