Neutrality Monument
The three-legged arch, which became known locally as "The Tripod",[1] was 75 metres (246 ft) tall and was built in 1998 on the orders of President Saparmurat Niyazov to commemorate the country's official position of neutrality.[2][3] Originally located in central Ashgabat, the monument was one of the tallest buildings in the city, being taller than the nearby Presidential Palace.On 18 January 2010, Niyazov's successor, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, signed a decree to dismantle and move the monument out of central Ashgabat.[4] The dismantling was officially said to be a move to improve urban design in Ashgabat, but is seen as part of Berdimuhamedow's campaign to remove the excesses of the personality cult that Niyazov had created during his two decades of totalitarian rule.Niyazov also named cities and infrastructure after himself, and ordered the construction of an "ice palace" and a 40-metre (130 ft) tall pyramid, but the monument and its gold-plated statue have been described as the most notorious symbol of his legacy.
TurkmenBitarap Turkmenistan AvenuePolimeksmonumentobservation towerAshgabatPresidentSaparmurat NiyazovneutralityPresidential Palaceinclined elevatorsGurbanguly Berdimuhamedowtotalitarianice palacemanat Saparmyrat NyýazowDe-StalinizationOguzkhan Presidential PalaceRuhyýet PalaceWedding PalaceArchabil Hotel AshgabatGrand Turkmen HotelYyldyz HotelAshgabat FlagpoleFountainHalk Hakydasy Memorial ComplexIndependence MonumentMonument to the ConstitutionErtuğrul Gazi MosqueTürkmenbaşy Ruhy MosqueAshgabat National Museum of HistoryExhibition Hall of the Ministry of CultureState Academy of Arts of TurkmenistanTurkmen Carpet MuseumTurkmenistan Cultural CentreTurkmen Museum of Fine ArtsAltyn Asyr BazaarBerkarar MallCentral Bank of TurkmenistanRussian BazaarAshgabat cinemaTurkmen Puppet TheatreTurkmen State CircusTurkmen National Theatre of YouthAshgabat Russian Drama TheatreMagtymguly Pyragy Cultural Park ComplexInspiration ParkAshgabat ZooInstitute of International RelationsInstitute of Telecommunications and Informatics of TurkmenistanInternational Oil and Gas UniversityInternational Turkmen-Turkish UniversityInternational University of Humanities and DevelopmentTurkmen Agricultural UniversityTurkmen State Institute of Architecture and ConstructionTurkmen State Institute of Economics and ManagementTurkmen State Medical UniversityTurkmen State UniversityAshgabat StadiumAshgabat VelodromeAshgabat Watersports ComplexGalkan Winter Sports CentreHTTU StadiumKöpetdag StadiumNusaý StadiumAshgabat Olympic StadiumWinter Sports Complex AshgabatInternational AirportCable CarMonorailRailway stationTrolleybuses in AshgabatArchabil AvenueIndependence SquareGalkynysh SquareMakhtumkuli Avenue