Organizers in Qatar will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest key ever built during an unveiling at Katara Cultural Village tomorrow.
Speaking to Doha News, a representative of one of the organizing companies, Ard Canaan restaurant at Katara, said the key represents a symbol of potential homecoming for displaced Arabs who have become refugees due to recent turmoil in the region.
“We are making this key to be remembered in all generations’ minds that where there’s a key, it’s a sign that someday we will go back to our homeland and we can sustain this fight,” the spokesman said. “It is not just for us. It is also for the generations ahead.”
Tomorrow’s date also coincides with the Nakbah, when Israel was established in 1948.
That day, the restaurant spokesman said, the key took on a significant meaning as Palestinians forced to leave the state saved the keys to their homes, hoping to one day be able to return to them.
Qatar is host to many world records, including largest soccer ball, longest SUV convoy and largest flag.
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During Sunday’s event at the Katara amphitheater, organizers will attempt to beat the current world record for largest key, which was set in Cyprus in September 2006.
That key is 5.5m tall and 2.6m wide and was produced by Evagoras Georgiou.
Organizers declined to go into specifics about the new key, but said it was forged in workshops in the Industrial area earlier this year.
Those who wish to attend the unveiling must buy tickets, which cost QR100 to QR350/person and are on sale online through today. Half of the proceeds from the ticket sales will go to the Qatar Red Crescent.
The event starts at 7pm, but doors open at 5pm.
The evening will include a musical performance from Mohammed Assaf, the young Palestinian singer who won the Arab Idol competition in 2013 and currently serves as regional youth ambassador for the UN Relief and Works Agency.
There will also be a traditional music and dance performance by a Palestinian dal’ouna band.
In addition to representing hope amid displacement, the key aims to educate others about the countries that comprise the land of Canaan referred to in the restaurant’s name: Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt.
“The key will be a baby step towards raising awareness about the cultures of these countries,” the spokesman said.
After the event, the key will be moved from the amphitheater and go up on display near building 26B in Katara, at the gateway of the Ard Canaan restaurant.
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