- Title: WEST BANK: Palestinian Knafeh enters Guinness World Records.
- Date: 20th July 2009
- Summary: NABLUS, WEST BANK (JULY 17, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WORKERS MAKING KNAFEH, TRADITIONAL MIDDLE EASTERN SWEET, IN ORDER TO ENTER GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS MAN BOILING WATER THAT CONTAINS SUGAR TO PUT ON KNAFEH CLOSE OF KNAFEH TRAYS NABLUS, WEST BANK (JULY 18, 2009) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ORGANISER OF EVENT, MUHANNAD RABI, SAYING: "Today Nablus is welcoming people from all over the world to tell them that people want to live. As Mahmoud Darwish [late Palestinian poet] said, 'On this earth is what is worth living', we are making Knafeh today, a sweet delight. We hospitalized visitors with this Knafeh. This is our message. We hope the economic situation will improve." VARIOUS OF WORKERS CARRYING TRAYS OF KNAFEH MEASURING KNAFEH VARIOUS OF WORKERS ORGANIZING LARGEST KNAFEH CLOSE OF KNAFEH VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LOOKING MAN TAKING PICTURE PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER SALAM FAYYAD EATING KNAFEH (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER, SALAM FAYYAD, SAYING: "It carries a meaning to heritage and connection to the location and identity. Congratulations to Nablus' residents." SIGN WRITTEN IN ARABIC, READING: "LARGEST KNAFEH TRAY IN THE WORLD" VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GATHERING AROUND KNAFEH EATING AND TAKING PICTURES
- Embargoed: 4th August 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA185YBR8W8MEBSXQML9RAN3JRM
- Story Text: Palestinians make the largest Knafeh platter in an attempt to get into the Guinness Book of World Records.
Palestinians made the largest Knafeh in an attempt to get into the Guinness Book of World Records.
The plate of the Palestinian delicacy measured 75 meters in length and two meters in width with a weight of 1,350 kilograms, according to Muhannad Rabi, the organizer of the event.
"Today Nablus is welcoming people from all over the world to tell them that people want to live. As Mahmoud Darwish [late Palestinian poet] said, 'On this earth is what is worth living', we are making Knafeh today, a sweet delight. We hospitalized visitors with this Knafeh. This is our message. We hope the economic situation will improve," Rabi said.
Nablus' sweet bakeries prepared the Knafeh, which fed more than 6,000 people.
People started to arrive early in the morning to mark the event.
Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad opened the event, which is part of the month's shopping festival, in the West Bank city of Nablus. The event is seen to mark a fresh start for commercial life in the city, after years of solidity.
"It carries a meaning to heritage and connection to the location and identity. Congratulations to Nablus' residents," Fayyad told the crowd.
Nablus, dubbed the "economic capital of Palestine", was once a thriving commercial centre, but was largely off limits for most Palestinians following the Israeli army's establishment of checkpoints and military bases after the violent Palestinian Intifada [Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation] of 2000.
A few weeks ago, Israel dismantled one of its biggest checkpoints in the occupied territory, located at the gateway to the city, where for years Palestinians walking on foot, in cars or in buses, had to spend numerous hours waiting to be cleared to pass.
The months' shopping festivities commenced with traditional dancing and tours of the old city, which resembles a big souk that offers almost everything shoppers need.
Big signs welcoming guests have replaced political graffiti and posters of militants and civilians killed in the past years.
Nablus residents are also returning to health clubs that were closed for eight years. More people are dining in restaurants and hanging out at cafes.
Security has been established by Palestinians with considerable help from the West, including US funded and directed training programs carried out in Jordan. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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