Travel photographer Amos Chapple recently crossed into Turkmenistan on a three-day transit visa and was able to photograph many of the sights and monuments in Ashgabat, the capital and largest city. Turkmenistan is a single-party country, a former Soviet state, run by a president at the center of a cult of personality.

Photo: A young couple leave the Alem Entertainment Center in Ashgabat. The current president has a history of breaking obscure records. In 2012 the wheel atop this complex was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest enclosed Ferris wheel. The structure was built at a cost of $90m. (Photo by Amos Chapple via The Atlantic)

David Rawcliffe, house and monument steward at the National Trust's Chedworth Roman Villa cleans a Roman mosiac in the new environmentally-controlled conservation shelter on March 19, 2012 near Cirencester, England. Opened this month, the multi-million pound building allows visitors to walk on suspended walkways just above the 1600-year-old Roman floors and to see recently excavated mosaics not seen for 150 years, with more to be uncovered over the coming year. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

“Ba game is a version of medieval football played in Scotland, perhaps most notably in Orkney and the Scottish Borders, around Christmas and New Year”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Men tussle for the leather ball during the annual “Fastern Eve Handba” event in Jedburgh's High Street in the Scottish Borders on March 1, 2012 in Jedburgh, Scotland. The annual event, which started in the 1700's, takes place today and involves two teams, the Uppies (residents from the higher part of Jedburgh) and the Doonies (residents from the lower part of Jedburgh) getting the ball to either the top or bottom of the town. The ball, which is made of leather, stuffed with straw and decorated with ribbons is thrown into the crowd to begin the game. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

Just a week before Rio de Janeiro hosts South America's first Olympics, city residents expressed mixed feelings about the cost and security of the Games, while holding out hope they will bring joy to a nation facing economic and political crises. The conflicted thoughts mirror a recent survey by the Datafolha polling group showing that half of Brazilians were opposed to holding the Games, while 63 percent think the costs of hosting the event will outweigh benefits. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)

Lasha Pataraia pulls a truck, which weighs 8,250kg (8 tons), with his ear during an event to break the Guinness Book of World Records in Rustavi, outside Tbilisi November 29, 2012. The 32-year-old broke a Guinness record after he managed to pull the truck with his ear for 21,50 metres (70.5 feet), according to organisers. (Photo by Irakli Gedenidze/Reuters)

This picture taken on December 17, 2013 shows people taking photos of a pole dancer (R) practising after it snowed in Tianjin during a promotional event by members of China's national pole dancing team and students of the sport. China set up its first national pole dancing team in Tianjin in 2012 in order to compete in the World Pole Dancing Championships. (Photo by AFP Photo)

Members of Germany's elite police unit, the Spezialeinsatzkommando, or SEK, demonstrate an abseil deployment from a helicopter during a media event on March 20, 2012 in Minden, Germany. The SEK is the special response team of Germany's state police force and typically deploys in high-risk situations, such as bank robberies, hostage takings and the arrest of armed and dangerous fugitives. (Photo by Thomas Starke/Getty Images)

Hot air balloons take to the skies over Bristol city centre on August 6, 2012 in Bristol, England. The early morning flight of over twenty balloons over the city was organised as a curtain raiser for the four-day Bristol International Balloon Fiesta which starts on Thursday. Now in its 34th year, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is Europe's largest annual hot air balloon event in the city that is seen by many balloonists as the home of modern ballooning. (Photo by Matt Cardy)