Dutch Man Built A $1.6 Million Ark With A Stunning Interior

Back in 1993, Johan Huibers was reading a bedtime story to his children about Noah's Ark, which gave him a crazy idea - to build his own replica of the Ark. His wife laughed at him, saying that when he finishes it, they "can all go on vacation to the moon.” But Johan did not give up and finished his first version of the ship in 2006. However, he was not completely satisfied with it, as it was “only half the size of the one in the Bible," and Huibers was determined to go further.

It was completed and opened to the public in 2012. The Biblical boat cost nearly $1.6 million to build. Huibers later admitted "We’re not professional boatmakers. A lot of stuff here is a bit crooked."

It is hard not to be amazed by the size of the ship and its beautiful details. The Ark is complete with wooden animal models, including gorillas, elephants and rhinos - just like in the Bible. The life-sized interpretation of Noah's Ark was a popular attraction in Dordrecht, Netherlands, but unfortunately it's been closed to visitors due to disagreements between Huibers and town officials.

The builder constructed the vessel in accordance with specifications laid out in the Hebrew Bible. The life-sized replica of the Biblical ship has a steel frame, and was built with American cedar and pine wood.

The height of the vessel is similar to that of a five-story building (75 feet). The ark is 95 feet wide, 410 feet long, weighs 2,500 tons and can fit over 5,000 people at once. Originally, Huiber was planning to sail it to Brazil for the Rio 2016 Olympics, but due to safety concerns, the plan fell through and was placed on hold.

Now, he says that his "preferred destination for the ark is Israel,"This is a copy of God's ship. It only makes sense to take it to God's land," he added. Huibers had planned to take the ship there soon after its completion, but wildfires in Israel forced him to postpone the journey.

At the moment Huibers is seeking donations from good Samaritans to help reach his goal of taking the vessel to Israel. As the ship has no motor, Huibers will need to rent tugboats in order to sail it, requiring approximately $1.3 million to complete the voyage.