Local teenagers visiting the Neutrality Monument in Ashgabat. Beyond white marble and golden statues, if there’s one thing that’s truly bizarre in Turkmenistan it’s the Darvaza Gas Crater.

Situated some 30 kilometres from the Iranian border, Ashgabat (City of Love in Arabic) is the capital of Turkmenistan ... There are many attractions, among them being the 75 metre-high Arch ...