See the World’s Largest Dog Statue – a 19-Foot Golden Masterpiece

Humans love building statues of things! It could be a famous war hero or a statue of something absolutely bizarre (looking at you, Vomiting Fountain Sculpture in London), and humans can’t help but want to take photos of it. Today, we will look at a pretty normal statue, at least as normal as you can expect. Meet the World’s Largest Dog Statue. This massive K9 sculpture has a rather interesting story to match its appearance. Let’s get started and learn more about it.

The World’s Largest Dog Statue

As of late, the largest statue of a dog in the world is a 19-foot sculpture of a dog named an Alabay built in Turkmenistan.

Only a few years ago, 2020 to be exact, the largest statue of a dog in the world was officially unveiled. The statue was unveiled in Turkmenistan by Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the country’s president. Officially standing 19 feet tall, the sculpture took the record for the largest dog statue in the world. The statue itself is bright gold and is situated on a large concrete pillar in the middle of a residential area. The concrete pillar has a large LED screen that shows off the breed in different locations, both working and in show. There isn’t any information available as to how much the statue cost to construct, but from the sheer scale of it, it was likely a very expensive project.

The History of the Breed and Statue

The statue has some historical significance to it, specifically related to the region. The dog statue is a regal depiction of a breed of dog known as an Alabay. The Alabay, sometimes referred to as the Alabai, Central Asian Shepherd Dog, or Volkodav, is a livestock guardian dog that has been used to protect and herd sheep and goats along the Central Asian steppes. The breed originated around the Ural-Caspian Sea region of Asia Minor and was an important breed for the region as nomadic herders. The ancient ancestors and mixed breeds can still be found natively today in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and a few of the surrounding regions.

In fact, the breed is often seen as a symbol of pride, especially in the country of Turkmenistan, where the statue was built. The breed is extremely varied, with each region usually having its own name for it. In Turkmenistan, it is known as the Alabay and is listed as a part of the country’s heritage. Even more, this isn’t the first time that the breed has been honored in the country, as President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov even dedicated a book to the breed only a short while before. During the unveiling ceremony, he even gave a young boy a well-bred Alabay as a gift.

The gift seems to be characteristic of the country’s president’s habits, as he has been known to give dogs and horses to leaders of allied countries worldwide, notably Vladimir Putin. In fact, the video of the exchange went viral when people were upset with how President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov handled the dog when he roughly took it by the scruff of the neck.

Where is the World’s Largest Dog Statue Located?

The place where the statue was unveiled is a Central Asian country named Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan has a population of 6 million, making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in all of Asia. In contrast, one of the cities within the country, Merv, was once the most populated city in the world as it was a hub for the Islamic world and a major stop on the Silk Road. The country’s motto is: “Turkmenistan is the motherland of Neutrality.”

You can find the world’s largest dog statue in the capital city of Ashgabat in a traffic circle.

The history and cultural significance of the Alabay are tied to the geography and history of the region, once again showing how important the dog breed is to the region. As a Central Asian country, equestrianism is also important to Turkmenistan. Like the dog statue, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov also had a golden statue of himself riding a horse unveiled in the capital city, Ashgabat, in 2015. The ancient breed of horse native to the region is known as the Ahal Teke. Ahal Teke are known for their incredible gold coats and speed, endurance, and intelligence. Their coats have even earned them the nickname “Golden Horses,” although they are known to be extremely expensive, especially when well-bred.