Turkmenistan, whose former leader built statues to himself and named days of the week after family members, has a new soaring monument adorning the capital: a 185-metre pillar to the constitution. Riddled with symbolism, the 45-million euro (64-million dollar) obelisk's height fits the 18th day of the fifth month of 1992 on which the ex-Soviet nation's constitution was adopted.
"People will come to the monument and it will become the centre of celebrations," Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said at the opening ceremony, which crowned three years of construction work by a Turkish firm. One of the tallest structures in the Turkmen capital, the imposing white marble structure is adorned with five golden carpet ornaments and comes with two viewing decks. Somewhat resembling the Washington Monument in the US capital, its warehouse-sized base houses a history museum, a library, conference and exhibition halls and a cafeteria.