Memes are making the rounds mocking Italy's decision to cover up nude statues at Rome's Capitoline Museum with big white boxes for a visit by Iranian President Hassan Rohani.
The decision has caused anger in Italy, where it has been condemned by critics as "incomprehensible," "ridiculous," and "submission" to principles that are against Western culture.
Speaking on January 27 in Rome, Rohani said that Tehran had not contacted Italian officials to ask for the statues to be covered up.
"This issue is something journalists and the press like to discuss," Rohani said.
He added that he didn't have "any talks" with Italian authorities on the issue.
"I know that the Italians are very hospitable, a people who seek to make their guests' visits as pleasant as possible and I thank them for that," Rohani added.
After wrapping up his visit to Italy, Rohani arrived in France where he is expected to preside over the signing of major business contracts.
A photoshopped picture of the Mona Lisa wrapped in the Islamic hijab that is compulsory for women in Iran was being shared on social media ahead of the trip, which follows the lifting of sanctions against the Islamic republic under a landmark deal restricting its nuclear program.
"Preparations by Louvre Museum for Rohani's visit," reads the tweet.
Some Iranians have likened Italy's decision to cover up nude statues to Iran's state censorship, including tough Internet censorship that targets tens of thousands of websites.
"Smart filtering of statues during #Rohani's trip to #Italy," reads the tweet that includes a photo of the nude statues covered in the page that Iranians see when they try to access banned websites.
A photoshopped photo of Rohani posing with Pope Francis under a nude painting was widely circulated.
Here is the original photo.
Meanwhile, some suggested that there were perhaps more creative ways of covering up nude statues than hiding them behind wooden panels.
In 2013, a relief carving of a naked man at the UN's headquarters in Geneva was covered up by a large white screen apparently in an effort not to offend Iranian diplomats who were due to take part in talks over Iran's nuclear activities.
