Desert landscapes, yurt houses, herds of wild horses, koumiss and Buddhist temples - all this is distant Mongolia. Domestic tourists do not fly here so often, but travelers who have reached the homeland of Genghis Khan fully enjoy the history of the great empire. What to see in Mongolia if you are used to getting to know a new country through museum exhibitions? You will certainly find interesting exhibits in the collections of the capital's museums. Fans of natural beauty will not be able to resist the delights of the Gobi Desert, and gourmets will find a lot of interesting things in the traditional Mongolian menu.
TOP 15 sights of Mongolia
Gorkhi-Terelzh
One of the largest Mongolian national parks was established in 1993. The tourist zone is located in the southern area of the park, where about 60 tourist centers, several rest houses and hotels have been built. The bases are yurt towns with playgrounds, restaurants, souvenir stalls and even mini golf courses.
Activities for visitors to the national park are horseback riding and rock climbing. On the territory of Gorkhi-Terelzh you will find many outlier rocks, weathered over the millennia to very bizarre forms. Fishing is possible on Lake Khagin-Khar.
Find: 80 km northeast. from Ulan Bator.
Gandantagchenlin
Pronouncing the name of this monastery is much more difficult than getting there. The monastery was founded in 1835 and is located in the very center of Ulan Bator. The complex includes many buildings for various purposes - a library and prayer pagodas, buildings of the Buddhist University and sacred stupas. At the entrance there are figures of gods, the roofs are covered with handmade tiles, and the walls of the buildings are decorated with figured wood carvings.
The most significant statue in Gandan Monastery is the 26-meter figure of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. It is encrusted with two thousand gems and completely covered with gold.
Open for tourists: from 9 am to 4 pm.
Sukhbaatar Square
The main square of the capital of Mongolia has something to see for lovers of monumental structures of the first half and mid-twentieth century. Along the perimeter are the Government Palace with the State Great Khural sitting in it, the Main Post Office, the Palace of Culture, the Opera and Ballet Theater and the Mongolian Stock Exchange.
The square is named after the founder of modern Mongolian statehood and serves as a venue for holidays, demonstrations and festivities.
Gobi-Gurvan-Sayhan
The Gobi Desert is a real natural wonder and a sacred place for the Mongols. In the northern part of the desert, the Gobi-Gurvan-Sayhan National Park has been created, which means “three beauties”. Three mountain ranges are protected on the territory of the reserve, the space between which is covered with dune sands.
Excursion routes in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia include stops at yurt camps. During the hike, you can look at the famous dinosaur cemeteries, get acquainted with the life of nomads in the settlements, see snow leopards and mountain sheep.
Kharkhorin
The modern city of Kharkhorin is located on the site of the ancient capital of Genghis Khan's empire. The ruins of Karakorum are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The ancient Karakorum in the XIII century was one of the most important points on the Great Silk Road.
Tourists are shown here the walls of the Karakorum, which enclose the territory of the archaeological excavations. The buildings themselves have not survived, since the stone was later used in the construction of monasteries.
In addition to the walls, the attention of visitors to the archaeological zone is worthy of a sculpture of a huge turtle and a stone phallus. On the banks of the Chultyn-Gol River, rock paintings of the Neolithic era have been preserved.
To get there: by bus. from Ulan Bator (about 400 km).
Erdeni Zuu
The ancient monastery, whose name means "one hundred treasures", was founded in the second half of the 16th century. Prince Khalkhi Abtai Khan built the monastery at his own expense, thereby paying tribute to the memory of Genghis Khan. The monastery was erected on the site of the capital of the Mongol Empire and stones from the fires of Karakorum were used in the construction.
The three main temples of the monastery symbolize the stages of the Buddha's life, and in total 17 buildings out of more than sixty previous ones have survived on the territory of Erdene Zuu.
To get there: by bus. from Ulan Bator (on the way approx. 8 hours). In the summer, flights to the capital are possible.
Genghis Khan statue
The monumental sculpture on the banks of the Tuul River is the absolute record holder among equestrian statues. Sculptures taller than the 40-meter Mongolian Genghis Khan in the whole earth you will not find yet. Its base is a round pavilion with 36 columns, symbolizing the Mongol rulers who led the empire after the death of Genghis Khan.
The statue is hollow and two-story. The pavilion also has several rooms, and the entire complex is an exposition of a historical museum dedicated to the Mongol Empire.
The construction of the monument took 250 tons of stainless steel and three years of work. The place where it is installed is significant for Mongolia. According to legend, the young warrior Genghis Khan found a golden whip here, and the empire began to take its first steps.
Find: 54 km east of Ulan Bator, coordinates for the navigator - 47.80793, 107.53690
Museum ticket price: 0.25 euros.
Bogdo-Gegen's palace
Bogdo Gegen is the head of the Mongol Buddhists, the first and last great khan of independent Mongolia since the end of the 18th century. In his Urga residence, you can see the personal belongings of the ruler and his wife, ritual clothes, books and household items. The most interesting museum of the palace displays a rich collection of items from the late 19th and early 20th centuries - peacock feather umbrellas and furniture, dishes made of the finest porcelain and music boxes. The yurt made of leopard skins and the carriage of the great khan are also impressive.
The palace itself was built at the end of the 19th century. The Triumphal Gates and the Summer and Winter Palaces attract special attention of tourists.
Ticket price: 2, 5 euros.
National History Museum
Founded in 1924, the Mongolian People's Museum was later renamed the Museum of the Revolution, and in 1991 it received its modern name and status - the National Historical Museum. The first collections were compiled with the participation of Soviet scientists, historians and archaeologists.
Of particular interest to visitors is the Department of Paleontology, which displays the bones of prehistoric dinosaurs found in the dinosaur cemetery in the Gobi Desert. An impressive collection of artifacts discovered during the excavation of the tomb of Bilge Khan Bogyu VIII century.
Choijin Lama Museum
The temple complex in Ulaanbaatar was founded at the beginning of the 20th century. Today there is a Choijin Lama temple-museum dedicated to the religious art of Tibet and Mongolia.
In the museum you can look at the masterpieces of Buddhist architecture and the richest collection of religious items:
- 108-volume Buddhist Canon of the Kangyur, brought from Tibet.
- Masks for the Tsam ceremony, the purpose of which is to demonstrate the presence of a deity on earth and to distance evil spirits from the followers of Buddha.
- A huge number of bronze and other statues depicting Buddha and great yogis.
1820 kg of pure silver were spent on the decoration of the monastery complex, and the founder of modern painting of the republic, Baldugiin Sharav, took part in the creation of the frescoes.
The museum is located one block from pl. Sukhbaatar in the capital.
Hustein-Nuruu
The Khustain-Nuruu National Park, founded in 1993, protects unique ecosystems typical of northern and central Mongolia. An equally important goal of the scientists working in the park is to recreate a stable population of the famous Przewalski's horse, the number of which has been greatly reduced in recent decades.
The park is engaged in the development of ecotourism. Visitors are offered walking tours, gin safaris or horseback riding.
Find: 100 km west of Ulan Bator.
Ticket price: approx. 5 euros.
Amarbayasgalant
The Monastery of Serene Joy can be found at the foot of a hilly ridge at an altitude of one kilometer above sea level in northern Mongolia. It was founded in the first third of the 18th century. The author of the project was Bogdo-gegen Zanabadzaru, who was then buried there.
The monastery miraculously survived during a destructive anti-religious campaign. The local inhabitants only partially complied with the order of burning, and the main buildings were not damaged. Utensils and objects of worship have also survived.
The architecture of the monastery clearly shows the Chinese style. The building is richly decorated with wood carvings, colored paintings and openwork elements of the roofs.
Find: aimak Selenge.
Lake Khubsugul
A huge freshwater lake in the north of the country was formed about 6 million years ago in the crater of an extinct volcano. It is connected to Lake Baikal by the Egiin-Gola River and the lakes are often compared with each other.
On the banks of the Khuvsgul, a national park has been opened, where hundreds of species of rare animals, birds and plants are protected. In 30 tourist centers of the park, conditions for hiking, horseback riding, fishing, spending the night in yurts and getting to know the life of nomads are organized.
Art Museum
This museum of the Mongolian capital is called an institution of national importance. Its halls contain works of talented sculptors and painters of various eras, and the collection of exhibits dedicated to the culture of Karakorum is the richest in the world.
Particular attention is drawn to the hall of Buddhist iconography of the 13th-18th centuries, and the most ancient exhibits of the museum are petroglyphs found in the Gobi Desert.
Ticket price: 2.5 euros.
Naadam Festival
The colorful Mongolian holiday can be safely attributed to the sights of the republic. The festival takes place on July 11-13 and symbolizes the masculine principle. The main competitions include purely men's sports, and spectators are actively cheering for the participants in races and duels in wrestling, archery.
