The Rotating Turkmenbashi

Turkmenistan's President Kurbanguly Berdymukhammedov is having one of his predecessor's most well-known statues removed:

"The removal of the statue and the 75-meter-tall Arch of Neutrality tower which it tops will 'improve the architectural image of Ashgabat,' state-run news agency Turkmen Khabarlary said late on Sunday.

"The 12-meter high gold-plated effigy, which rotates to face the sun, is one of the capital's main landmarks and can seen from almost anywhere in the city center. Berdymukhammedov first suggested removing it in 2008.

"A new, higher tower will be built in a southern suburb of the city to replace 'the tripod' -- a nickname Ashgabat residents have given to the old monument which stands on three legs."