A full-size replica of Noah's Ark, complete with robotic animals,
could be a riverside attraction alongside the London Olympics, if Mayor
Boris Johnson gives his permission to the scheme.
The man behind the project is Dutch construction engineer Johan
Huibers.
Some years ago he had a very vivid dream in which he saw the
Netherlands disappearing under an enormous mass of water, comparable
with the tsunami in southeast Asia.
The next day he came across a book about Noah's Ark - the remains of
which are believed to be somewhere in Turkey.
Mr Huibers said, "I
thought it would be good to tell people about the story of the Ark in
the Bible. It is a way of telling them there is a God. I am going to
sail it up the Thames. It will be nice for British schoolchildren to
visit."
Construction of the Ark started three years ago on the river at
Dordrecht near Rotterdam and cost around €1.12m.
The vessel is built on
25 steel barges drawn together to form a basin, with a heavy steel
frame to keep it rigid.
Two conference rooms can seat a total of 1,500
people.
Mr Huibers said he used the same dimensions Noah is supposed to
have used when building his vessel.
The Ark will be filled with pairs of model animals and an aviary with
free-flying live birds will cover most of the deckhouse.
The lower
deck will feature moving animal models, including a robot lion.