Take a tour through the Asian landlocked country Mongolia! Travel through Mongolia and explore the Gobi Desert, visit the many remains of the former great empire of the Mongols, or visit the capital Ulaanbaatar or Ulan Bator, but also the cities of Erdenet, Darchan and Choibalsan. Here you can admire incredible sights, such as the Natural History Museum, the Shukow Museum, the Süchbaatar Square, the Gandan Monastery or the Bogd Khan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar; the fourth largest copper mine in the world and the carpet factory from Erdenet and the old wooden house Charagiin monastery in Darchan. Get to know this distant country on a study trip!
The Gobi desert
The vacation in Mongolia promises numerous sights. In addition to the capital Ulaan Baatar and its excursion destinations, Karakorum as the former capital of Genghis Khan and numerous monasteries and national parks, it is above all the Gobi desert that is always worth a visit. In the middle of Central Asia, this desert extends in the south-east of the country and, with a size of approximately 2,000 x 800 kilometers, extends into neighboring China.
Unlike the Sahara, for example, the Gobi Desert is not a pure sand desert, but a very varied region, which is therefore even more worth visiting. In addition to a small part of sand, the Gobi Desert has barren mountain landscapes, salt lakes and numerous steppe areas. The existing sand dunes are enormous and make crossing them an unforgettable experience. Another difference between the Gobi Desert and other known deserts is that it has a continental climate. This creates very hot but dry weather in summer, while it is also extreme in winter, albeit with cold temperatures that can be up to -40 degrees.
While visiting the Gobi Desert, it is worth taking a look at the history of this desert in addition to the impressive barreness. Numerous finds of fossils prove that the area looked different in earlier epochs and, with its varied and flourishing nature, must have been home to many dinosaurs. In addition, it is interesting to briefly devote your thoughts to the legendary Silk Road while staying in the south of the desert. This led south along the Gobi desert and was considered to be one of the most important trade routes on which caravans made their way from Asia to the Mediterranean. In connection with routes along or through the Gobi Desert, the Trans-Mongolian Railway should also be mentioned.
Gandan monastery
According to topschoolsintheusa, Mongolia is one of the few countries in the world that offer you undiscovered sights in the course of a round trip. Among these, the Gandan Monastery is to be mentioned in a preferred position. The Gandan Monastery is located in Ulaanbaatar, the largest city in Mongolia. Ulaanbaatar is also the capital of the country. Today around a million people live here. The city owes its existence to the Gandan Monastery, and until 1924 it was even called Ich Churee, which means large monastery. The Gandan Monastery was founded in 1727. Today it is located on a hill southwest of the city center of Ulan Bator.
The monastery complex dominated the image of the city until the beginning of the 20th century. At that time almost 50,000 people lived in the city; a third of them as monks in the Gandan monastery. The monastery is built in the tradition of Buddhism and is strongly reminiscent of similar facilities in Nepal. A striking building – also optically – is the white Migjid Janraisig Süm. Here the visitor will also find the statue of the goddess Janraisig, which towers more than 26 meters high above the monastery complex. The head of the monastery is – of course – the Dalai Lama. Today a little more than 500 monks are living in the monastery again after it was partially closed during the time of the People’s Republic of Mongolia or was only allowed to work under state supervision.
Palace of Bogd Khan
In December 1911, the then head of Buddhism in Mongolia was promoted to Bogd Khan, the ruler of independent Outer Mongolia. With interruptions and in the last years of his reign severely restricted rights, he ruled until his death in 1924. In Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, the palace of Bogd Khan is the only surviving one of his four former residences as a reminder of the time of his reign.
Temples, pagodas and the museum
The palace grounds, which are now a kind of open-air museum, are located in the southern area of Ulaanbaatar. Built in the first decade of the 20th century, the complex consists of six temples and pagodas as well as the two-story palace that served the Khan as a winter residence. The sights on display mainly include Buddhist statues, paintings and embroidered silk carpets and give an insight into the religious past of the Mongolian people. Most of the buildings are in a restored condition and can be reached via paths that lead through attractive wooden arches. The actual museum, the Bogd Khan Winter Palace, is located in the eastern part of the site.
In the winter palace
Anyone who goes on a trip or study trip through Mongolia and Ulan Bator should include a visit to the palace of Bogd Khan in their travel program. The impressions gained convey a picture of the life and wealth of the former rulers. Much of the furniture to be seen in the rooms is made of ebony and decorated with precious inlays. Numerous silk embroidery made for the royal court, a collection of works of art, valuable gifts from foreign representatives and wall paintings, some of which were created in the Buddhist surrealist style, adorn the interior of the palace. A section of the museum exhibits stuffed animals that once belonged to the ruler’s zoo.
Not everything may be photographed and only for a fee to be paid.
Ulaanbaatar Natural History Museum
In Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, there are countless sights to experience. One of the main tourist destinations in the city is the Natural History Museum near the impressive government building. The museum depicts the exciting and varied Mongolian natural history. The countless exhibits go back to the 3rd century BC. return. What is by far the largest and best-known museum in the metropolis is world-famous for its huge collection of fossils.
Dinosaur skeletons from the Gobi desert
In the paleontological department, the world’s most famous part of the museum, there are also two completely preserved skeletons of dinosaurs from the Gobi desert and some fossilized dinosaur eggs, which are more than ten meters tall. The large animal world department and the ornithological gallery also offer a fascinating insight into the Mongolian animal world. Among other things, more than 200 different birds are exhibited here. Huge gemstones or impressive meteorite remains can also be seen in the diverse museum. There are several bookshops and souvenir shops on the ground floor of the museum. The Ulaanbaatar Natural History Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. in summer. The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays from October to May. Entry costs 2,000 tugrik (around 78 cents).
