ULAANBAATAR, THE CAPITAL CITY

• Lying in the heart of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar capital city is surrounded by 4 majestic mountain peaks
• Average elevation is 1305 m above sea level (in Sukhbaatar square)
• The city covers an area of 4700 sq km
• The average temperature in summer is +17°C, and in winter -26°C,
• Precipitation is 242 mm (rain), 10-15 mm (snow)
• The Tuul river runs along the city; It is 819 km long and is called the “Queen Quencher”

History of Ulaanbaatar:

• Ulaanbaatar was established in 1639 by lord Khalkh Tusheet Khan Gombodorj when his 5 years old son Zanabazar was enthroned as an incarnation of 1st Bogd Jibzundamba Hutugtu, the head of Mongolian Buddhist religion.
• The nomadic encampment shifted several times from place to place until 1778 when the city was permanently settled in its current location.
• The city changed its name 5 times, “Orgoo”, “Nomiin Huree”, “Ikh Huree”, “Niislel Huree”, and finally “Ulaanbaatar” (since1924). 
• The largest city in Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar is the main administrative, political, cultural, trade, transport, and industrial centre of the country. The capital is the hub of international and domestic flights, train service and long distance buses.

Places to visit in Ulaanbaatar:

• Monasteries
• Gandan more
• Bodg Khaan Palace (monastery museum) more
• Choijin Lama (monastery museum) more
• Museums
• Zanabazar fine art more
• National history more
• Natural history more
• International intellectual museum of the mind more
• Other important places
• Sukhbaatar square more
• Zaisan hill more

• Cultural shows
• Traditional folk song and dance shows more
• Other cultural events  more

Terelj national park            picture                                       

• Gorkhi-Terelj National Park,  is about 50 miles from UB, and is a popular destination. Terelj is part of the third biggest protected area in Mongolia, the Khan Khentii Protected Area, which is the birthplace of Chingis Khaan. There are numerous significant historical and cultural sites throughout the region. Three major river systems have their sources in the protected area.
• Terelj is famous for its pristine alpine scenery and unique granite rock formations. It is a popular place for hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.
• The park lies an altitude of 1600 m above sea level. Visitors can take a leisurely stroll on green meadows carpeted with edelweiss and a dazzling variety of other wildflowers, while viewing fascinating rock formations against a backdrop of pine-covered mountains. You can also wander along wooded banks of mountain streams.
• Turtle rock, a natural rock formation in the park formed through erosion and weathering, is one of the key attractions in the area.

Khuvsgul Lake picture                                                         

• The “Dark blue pearl” of Mongolia, Khuvsgul Lake is the deepest lake in central Asia and the world’s 14th largest source of fresh water, containing between 1-2% of the world’s fresh water supply. 
• Stunningly beautiful Khuvsgul Lake is a top scenic attraction in Mongolia, surrounded by high mountain peaks, lush lakeside meadows, taiga, and the forested steppe.
• The lake offers a range of adventurous as well as relaxing activities like hiking, fishing, and horseback riding.

Kharakorum, cultural heritage picture                             

• Kharakorum, the ancient capital of the Great Mongol Empire was founded in 1220 when Chinggis Khaan established his headquarters on the bank of Orkhon River. It was previously known by the name of Taigal Shivee.
• The city, capital of the largest land empire the world has ever known, served as a supply point for the Mongol armies and was a cosmopolitan and multi-cultural center. Located on the Silk Road, the old capital was enclosed by a rectangular wall with four gates, each with its own market.
• The investigations have revealed that in Kharakorum there were palaces, temples, military stores, shops and residential quarters, twelve religious shrines including two mosques, a Christian church and Buddhist temples.
• Archeaological digs have revealed findings such as masks of Egyptian Pharaohs, Arabian coins, porcelain articles, decorative building materials, iron, cast iron and bronze articles, precious stone jewelry, and more. 
• Burial sites found in this area prove that people from diverse ethnic heritage lived in Kharakorum, including Chinese, Russians, French, English, and many Asian and steppe tribes.
• The capital is recognized as having been the main administrative, political, economic, and cultural and trade centre of the 13th century world, and the key junction that connected West and East. 
• Today almost nothing has remained from the great city, but a sense of its grandeur and importance can still be felt by the visitor.

Mongolian Gobi picture                                                       

• Mongolian Gobi is one of the most exciting, unique and mysterious places on earth. The Gobi desert, once covered with water, is the treasure chest of fossilized dinosaur’s bones and eggs and petrified wood and plants. 
• Known to be one of the harshest environments on the planet, with extreme temperature and seasonal changes, the Mongolian Gobi is less watered but surprisingly alive with abundant wild life and oases rich with artesian water. In the Gobi there are many hot and cold springs famous for their therapeutic properties.
• This vast desert covers an area of 470 thousands sq/km. Great Gobi Reserve established in 1975, was included as one of the world’s Biosphere Reserves in 1991.
• This vast land mass is home to wild sheep, snow leopard, wild ass, gazelle, wild camel, Gobi bear (an endangered animal that is the only desert bear in the world), and desert ibex.

Khustai national park picture                                               

• The 90 thousand hectare Khustai Nuruu Natural Reserve, set 60 miles southwest of UB, is home to herds of takhi, the only naturally surviving wild horse in the world. Takhi were recently re-introduced into the wild of this region after hunting and export to international zoos wiped out the domestic population.   
• The landscape ranges from grassland to forest steppe. The best time to see the wild horse, deer, and gazelle is at dawn and dusk. Within the reserve there are number of Turkic graves, stone men or Balbals and the Ongot archeological complex.   
• From 1940-1960 human pressures drove the wild horse, the ancestor of the Mongolian horse, from forest steppe zone to extreme and dry desert steppe zone in the south west of Mongolia. The harsh living conditions of this region as well as inhabitation of the nomads with their livestock caused a great decline in numbers of takhi horses. Intensive hunting also had a significant impact on the population of the wild horse.  
• In 1994-1998 sixty takhi horses were introduced to their motherland from the Cologne Zoo and Port Lympne Zoological Garden in Europe. Today there are over 15 groups of wild horses in the mountain ranges of the reserve.

Mountain of cheerfulness picture                                                    
Shiliin Bogd, revered mountain

• Shiliin Bogd is an extinct volcano in Sukhbaatar aimag (in eastern Mongolia). The 400 meter-high volcano stands on the flat steppe and you can view countless extinct volcanic holes on its surface (like the moon surface) from the top of Shiliin Bogd Mountain.
• It’s believed that if one wakes up early in the morning and sees the rising sun (especially on your horseback) on top of the mountain, they will be energized from the earth and be filled with cheerfulness.

     
Chinggis Khaan’s birth place picture                                   

• The native land of Chinggis Khaan, Khan Khentii Protected Area is well-known for numerous significant historical and cultural sites. It is the land described in “The Secret History of the Mongols,” a literary monument of the nation and an important source of Mongol history. In Hodoo Aral, where the literary treasure was said to be finsihed, an honorary monument was erected in 1990 dedicated to the 750th anniversary of the event. 
• The birthplace of Chinggis Khaan is a beautiful area located in the north-east of Mongolia with stunning forests, taiga, and mountain forest steppes. The area has over 70 rivers and 30 sources of mineral water. The source of three major river systems can be found in the area, supporting abundant wildlife and vegetation.

Altai Tavan Bogd Mountains  picture                                   

• The snow-capped mountain, Altai Tavan Bogd, is the highest mountain (4374m above sea level) in Mongolia, and challenges rock and mountain climbers from all over the world.  
• This is one of the relatively wettest regions in the country, with numerous lakes, glaciers, streams and springs dotted throughout the impressive mountains and emerald green meadows.    

Places to visit:

• Sukhbaatar square picture                             
• 10th of July, 1921 Mongolian people’s voluntary army finally liberated Nisslel Khuree, the capital city from Chinese revolutionaries.
• “Hero of the revolution”, Sukhbaatar made a speech to the nation and called upon to be united proclaiming the victory of Mongolian Peoples Revolution.
• The square is named after Sukhbaatar declared Mongolian National Independence.
• 10 m high statue of Sukhbaatar was designed and created by a state prized sculptor Choimbol in 1945 in the centre of the square.
• The speech of the military general was carved on the bottom of the statue “If we, the people of Mongolia are in unity with our common effort and common will, there will be nothing impossible in the world that we can achieve, that we will not have learnt or failed to do”.

• Zaisan hill picture                             
• To the south of the city center lies a tall landmark, Zaisan Hill, that offers people a bird eye’s view of UB. It is surrounded by four majestic mountains.
• Zaisan monument was erected in 1956 in the memory of Soviet warriors who helped Mongolians  protect their independence and freedom.
• Gandan picture                              
• Still the largest and most significant monastery in Mongolia and one of UB’s most interesting sights, “Gandan” complex was built in the mid 19th century. It was the only monastery where Buddhist services continued during the communist period. Before the 1920s there were about 20 temples and 20 stupas and around 5000 communities of monks but only 6 temples survived from the purge period of 1930s.
• Gandan was an important Buddhist center for learning Buddhist philosophy, oriental science and culture, not just for Mongolians, but for Buddhists around the world.
• The temple is usually flocked by visitors during religious services that start early in the morning and last until midday. Since the 1990s with Buddhism flourishing once more, Gandan embarked on an ambitious program of restoration.   

• Bogd Khan Palace (monastery museum) picture                             
• Summer palace – monasteries of the last king 8th Bogd Javzandamba were built between 1893 and 1906. Bogd King was born 1869 and was reincarnated as an 8th Bogd Khan in 1871. In 1874 he was proclaimed as a religious leader of Mongolia when he was 5 years old. 
• In 1961 the monastery was turned into a Palace Museum consisting of seven temples and a winter palace.  It houses unique and priceless cultural and historical artifacts of Mongolian monarchy from 17th to 20th centuries including carvings, castings, embroiders, silk appliqués, canonic icons, and papier-mâché masks created by the best Mongolian skillful artists from all corner of Mongolia.   
• The “Amgalan Enkhiin Haalga” (The Peace Door) was built between 1912 and 1919 as a symbol of Mongolian independence from Manchu. The gate was erected with eight columns as a base and for the top of the architecture 108 kinds of wood joints were used without a single nail.

• Choijin Lama (monastery museum) picture                             
• A masterpiece of Mongolian architecture, the monastery of Choijin Lama was erected in1904-1908 in honor of one of the influential lamas, Luvsanhaidav, 8th Bogd Khan’s brother. Luvsanhaidav, the state oracle was well educated in Secret Tantrism and made special tantric ceremonies, called “Choijin”.
• The monastery was active until 1938, but in 1941 it was placed under the control of committee of science. In 1942 it turned into a museum, which still displays Buddhist artwork, paintings, castings, Mongolian silk appliqué, embroidery and sculptures. 

• Traditional folk song and dance shows

• Traditional folk shows are a must-see performance, and usually feature traditional long and short songs, throat singing khoomii, various kinds dances including Tsam ritual mask dancing, contortionism, folk acrobatics, and performance of the horse-head fiddle and other instruments.  Folk show ensembles and groups perform everyday in Ulaanbaatar.

• Zanabazar fine art
• Established in 1966, Zanabazar Fine Arts museum displays Mongolian art from Paleolithic age to early 20th century.
• Named after famous scientist, artist, sculptor, poet, doctor, Zanabazar, the museum has an excellent collection of paintings, carvings and sculptures including rare and sometimes old religious exhibits such as scroll paintings (tanka) and Buddhist statues, representing the best display of its kind in Mongolia.
• It also contains wonderful Tsam, religious dance masks and the intricate paintings, “One day of Mongolia” and “The Airag feast”, by renowned artist B. Sharav, depicting almost every aspect of nomadic life.

• National history
• Founded in 1924, a fully renovated National History Museum was opened in 1998 housing more than 40 thousand rare and priceless archeological, historical and ethnographic articles and objects including artifacts, traditional costumes and jewelry from the dawn of mankind to present day Mongolia.
• The collection includes exhibits on petroglyphs, deer stones, burial sites of ancient cultures, Mongol armor, and original letters between Pope Innocent IV and Guyuk Khaan.
• There are also displays of traditional Mongolian culture with a furnished Ger, traditional herding and domestic implements, saddles, musical instruments and toys. Also on display are Buddhist items, including the controversial Ganlin horn, made from human thigh bone, used by head monks to call or exorcise evil spirits.

• Natural history
• Established in 1924, the Natural History Museum played an important role in the establishment of a formal museum system in Mongolia.
• It houses exhibits featuring Mongolia’s geography, flora and fauna including sections with stuffed and embalmed animals, birds and fish.
• The most interesting and impressive exhibits are the two complete dinosaur’s skeletons found in Mongolia’s  Gobi region.
• Tarbosaurus, a giant flesh-eating dinosaur, 15 m tall and 5 tones in weight
• Saurolophus, a duck-billed plant-eating dinosaur, 8m tall
• The museum also contains petrified woods, dinosaur eggs, huge leg bones and more.
• American adventurer and explorer Roy Chapman Andrews conducted excavations in the Gobi area in 1920s unearthing countless findings related to dinosaurs. 

• International intellectual
• The museum’s collection includes many famous, rare and precious exhibits including over 200 different Mongolian puzzle chess sets made of gold, silver, gemstones and wood that use Mongolian unique interlocking methods. Among them the smallest and the biggest Mongolian puzzle chess sets are on display.
• The famous puzzle exhibits include ‘Eiffel Tower’, ‘Statue of Liberty’, ‘Egyptian Pyramid’,’ Mowgli’, ‘Ancient Temple’, ‘Sea Angel’, ‘Puzzle Spaceship’ which are composed of 673 different wooden pieces that are interlocked requiring 5000 locking tricks.
•  Undeniably, the Mongolian puzzle chess set is seen as one of the wonders of the world by its complexity, design, carvings, interlocking methods and its shape. All pieces are designed based on Mongolian traditional ‘Hosh’ puzzling method.
• One of the famous exhibits of the museum is a puzzle tortoise made of 5 kg of silver designed to use 33 different interlocking methods which offers $100,000 award for someone who can assemble it in 10 minutes.