Friday, May 18, 2012 -
Turkmen authorities unveiled on Friday a new Ferris wheel which they claim to be the world's largest such structure.
The wheel was unveiled as the country celebrates a national holiday referred to as the Day of Revival, Unity, and Magtymguly Poetry, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency reported.
The 156-foot wheel, built within an enclosed space, sports 24 six-seat cabins. The cabins rotate within a massive glass casing, decorated with an eight-point star.
The Ferris wheel is known as ‘Alem,’ which means ‘The Universe.’
The unveiling of the structure is just one of a series of odd architectural highlights to the notoriously repressive Central Asian, gas-rich state.
Turkmenistan is already home to the world’s tallest flagpole, the world’s largest cluster of fountains, and the world’s longest carpet.
The country says it has plans to build its answer to the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty in the near future.