Awful Nefertiti statue earns a barrage of criticism online

She's been compared to Frankenstein, local politicians and even Gaddafi

A statue based on a bust of the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti has been mocked widely for its inaccuracy and ugliness.

Like that famously awful restoration of the century-old fresco of Jesus on the wall of a Spanish church, people love to laugh at bad art. The statue of Nefertiti in Samalout is no exception.

The giant statue of Queen Nefertiti, who ruled Egypt with her husband, the Pharaoh Akhenaten more than 3,000 years ago, was installed next to a motorway on the way into the city. It was based on the famous bust of the Queen, a well-preserved specimen of Egyptian art that currently sits in the Neues Musum in Berlin.

However, due to the backlash over the questionable quality of the statue, the head of the city has announced that it has been removed, to be replaced with a statue of a peace dove.

Images of the statue went viral in Egypt, with users comparing her to Frankenstein's monster, local politicians, and even Muammar Gaddafi.

Some users didn't see the funny side, claiming the ugly statue was an affront to Egyptian culture and heritage.

The BBC translated one tweet, written in Arabic, which said the statue was an "insult to Nefertiti and to every Egyptian".

Another criticised the sculptor for doing something "so unfair to the beautiful Nefertiti".

Like Ed Miliband's monolith, it's possible that once removed, the statue will become a prized item for Egypt's political treasure hunters.

Whether it disappears without a trace or not, it's going to have a long life on the internet.