North Korean soldiers wave along the Yalu River, near the North Korean town of Sinuiju, opposite to the Chinese border city of Dandong October 7, 2014. (Photo by Jacky Chen/Reuters)

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)

A Muslim dervish whirls during celebrations for Mawlid al-Nabi that marks the birthday of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sunday, October 9, 2022. Thousands of Muslims take part in religious processions, ceremonies and distribute free meals among the poor to mark the holiday. (Photo by Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo)

Zulu maidens sings and dance as they arrive for the coronation event, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, October 29, 2022. South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa on behalf of the government formally presented a certificate of recognition to His Majesty King MisuZulu ka Zwelithini of the AmaZulu. (Photo by Themba Hadebe/AP Photo)

A scuba diver during an ice diving class at the Sea Frogs scuba diving center in the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, Russia on January 30, 2022. The air temperature is –11°C (12.2°F), the water temperature is –2°C (28.4°F). Scuba divers undergo theoretical and practical training in ice diving and perform dives in the open water during the day and the night time as part of the Ice Diver NDL special program. (Photo by Yuri Smityuk/TASS)

American singer Rebbeca Marie Gomez, known professionally as Becky G accepts the “Latin Pop Song of the Year” award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. March 27, 2023. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

A Muslim faithful display her henna decoration before attending Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, at the Masjid Salaam grounds in Nairobi, Kenya on April 21, 2023. (Photo by Monicah Mwangi/Reuters)

A girl, named Tata and aged 8, wears a Red Army uniform-styled dress during the celebrations of Victory Day, which marks the 78th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Moscow, Russia on May 9, 2023. (Photo by Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)