Turkmenistan's president has unveiled a giant gold dog statue.
Dog Statue
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov revealed the 19-foot statue of the Alabai dog in the Asian nation's capital Ashgabat earlier this week.
The Alabai is the president's favourite dog and he previously devoted a book to the breed, which is listed under Turkmenistan's national heritage.
The country's media says that the statue reflects the breed's "pride and self-confidence".
Historian Victoria Clement believes that the statue has been unveiled to boost pride in the country.
She told France 24: "It assists the state in solidifying the idea of the territory of Turkmenistan as firmly Turkmen."
Berdymukhamedov also commissioned a gold statue of himself riding a horse back in 2015.