A gold-plated statue of Turkmenistan's first president, Saparmurat Niyazov, once more stands atop the 75-meter-high Arch of Neutrality, but the arch itself has been moved from its original location near the presidential residence to a site on the outskirts of Ashgabat.
Niyazov's successor, President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, gave the order to relocate the monument in January 2010. Many thought that the the statue of Niyazov might be replaced with some other figure from Turkmenistan's history or a national symbol.
Construction is now underway on a new, 95-meter-high monument at the original site of the Arch of Neutrality. The new monument is expected to be unveiled in time for Day of Neutrality observances in December 2011.
The Arch of Neutrality was originally built in 1998.
