German museum puts world's first wax doner on display in Berlin

Madame Tussauds museum on Thursday unveiled the world's first doner kebab made of wax as part of a new exhibit on Berlin street food.

The life-size figure is modeled on the vegetable doner sold at Mustafa's Gemuese Kebap in the Kreuzberg district.

Tarik Kara, who founded the business, joined the unveiling and said he was pleased that his doner had entered one of the world's best-known wax museums.

“It is reproduced one to one and looks very real. A wax doner cannot look better,” Kara said.

“There is so much interest from people. That makes me very happy,” he told reporters beside the exhibit.

Kara has been serving doner in Berlin since 2005, and his Mehringdamm stand remains one of the most popular with visitors. He reworked the traditional Turkish doner by adding a mix of deep-fried vegetables and fresh salad, a combination that set his stand apart.

It drew attention far beyond the city after a New York Times reporter wrote about it, and lines outside the shop are still a familiar sight.

Museum officials said they want the figure to introduce an everyday piece of Berlin street culture to international visitors.