The gold-plated rotating statue of the first president of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov located on top of the Neutrality Arch in front of the presidential palace in downtown Ashgabat has been dismantled.

The 12-meter statue of the Turkmen leader, which rotated to always face the sun, was dismantled from its pedestal on Wednesday and workers are now removing the base of the monument on the palace square. Current President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov ordered dismantling the Neutrality Arch in 2008, a year after he was elected to the office. On its place a new 95-meter monument, decorated with the ornaments of 5 Turkmen tribes, will be constructed.