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A bronze sculpture of Mongolian warrior Genghis Khan has been unveiled at Marble Arch in central London.

The 16ft tall (5m) statue captures the legendary leader wearing Mongolian armour on his steed.

The sculpture by artist Dashi Namdakov will stand next to Cumberland Gate until early September.

The artist, who had an interest in the nomadic tribes of Mongolia, wanted to honour the warrior on the 850th anniversary of his birth.

He said: "If I wanted to show him as a warrior I would have shown him as a warrior, but he is a thinker in this case. He is a divine figure in my country."

Namdakov was born in a Siberian village and brought up in the Buryat Buddhist culture.

His village was close to the area which was historically controlled by nomadic Mongol tribes and which led to his interest in Buryat and Mongol cultures.

Westminster Council selected the statue as part of its ongoing City of Sculpture festival, which was launched in 2010.

The festival aims to install works of art across the borough in the run-up to the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the capital.

Halcyon Gallery said the sculpture was specially commissioned for Marble Arch.

The artwork captures the intricate details of the medieval Mongolian armour and dress, including the golden plaques on the livery and the plaited hair.

The decision to depict the warrior on his horse embodies "the very essence of nomadism and brings the culture of the ancient Mongols directly to the public", the gallery said.

The sculpture's unveiling comes ahead of an exhibition by the artist in the gallery in Mayfair next month.