Airport with bird-shaped roof

The Central Asian republic of Turkmenistan has unveiled a gleaming new international airport with a roof in the shape of a flying falcon. The design echoes the mascot of its national carrier.

The $2.8 billion airport is located in Ashgabat, the capital city, and has the capacity to handle more than 1,600 passengers an hour. But few foreigners visit the isolated Central Asian nation, known for its vast energy reserves. A mere 105,000 tourists visited it in 2015, according to government figures, and it is difficult to get a visa.

Ashgabat International Airport is one of three international airports in Turkmenistan, a former Soviet Republic. It is located approximately 10 km north-west of the capital.

The new airport opened this year after being completely redesigned and rebuilt. Ashgabat has no shortage of lavish buildings. It boasts of several other unique structures, including a publishing house in the shape of an open book.

The city also has two giant statues of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and his late predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov.