Mongolia. Rediscovering Karakorum, Ancient Capital of the Mongol Empire
At its height, the Mongol Empire (1206 to 1368) extended across modern-day China and Russia, southward to India, and westward to Eastern Europe. Encompassing more than 24 million km2, it was the largest contiguous area of conquered land in world history. In 1218, Chinggis Khan (aka Genghis Khan) rallied military forces at a village called Karakorum before attacks against the Khwarazmian Empire. Years later, Khan’s son established Karakorum as the empire’s capital. I organized my solo visit to Mongolia with the goal of visiting the ruins of ancient Karakorum. In preparation, I requested quotes from four Mongolian tour companies and selected one that seemed best able to accommodate my itinerary.
I arrived in Ulaanbaatar on a blistery cold day in October. A young English teacher who worked part-time for the tour company met me at the airport. My driver was a retired factory manager who owned a Toyoda Land Cruiser. Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia’s largest city (1.6 million) and holds the distinction of being the world’s coldest capital (averaging -15°C to -30°C in winter). Established in 1639, the first settlement in the area was a monastic center for Buddhists. In 1778, the center was moved to the city’s present location near the confluence of the Selbe and Tuul Rivers. From the window of our Land Cruiser, Ulaanbaatar’s apartment buildings formed a drab and repetitive pattern reminiscent of a Soviet-era urban skyline. Driving to Gandantegchinlen Monastery, we passed the Parliament House with its oversized statue of Chinggis Khan that commemorates the 800th anniversary of the Mongol Empire. Constructed in 1809, Gandantegchinlen was shuttered for a brief time (1938-44) after the communists first arrived. Today, its courtyards and temples remain in active use by about 100 monks. Operating as the center of Buddhism in Mongolia, Gandantegchinlen preserves manuscripts, woodblock prints, and other religious treasures including a 26-meter-high statue of Avalokiteśvara (considered the Buddhist embodiment of compassion) that is covered with gold and precious stones.
We departed Ulaanbaatar the next morning for our 360-kilometer drive west towards Karakorum. With more than 70% of its population living in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia is a mostly urban nation. As we reached the city’s suburbs, the tall apartment complexes transitioned to open country. It struck me there were no fences to prevent domestic animals from wandering on the road, so I queried my guide who pointed to shallow trenches on each side of the highway that discourage crossings by cows and sheep. There isn’t a need for fencing in other places given that most land in Mongolia is held in communal ownership.
About 90 kilometers west of Ulaanbaatar we stopped at Hustai National Park to see Takhi (aka Przewalski) wild horses. After nearly becoming extinct, Takhi horses were reintroduced to the park in 1992 and now number more than 400. After a few more hours of driving, we reached a place where I was scheduled to participate in a camel ride. Native to Mongolia and northern China, two-hump Bactrian camels are well suited to cold and dry conditions of central Asia and have been used as pack animals for hundreds of years. Having previously ridden dromedary (one-hump) camels on “autopilot” (part of a camel train led by an attendant), I was unprepared when my camel guide abruptly handed me the reigns and rode ahead. Fortunately, my Bactrian deciphered clumsy signals to walk straight, turn, and stop.
We spent the night at a small hotel in Kharkhorin (population 15,000), located a few kilometers from ancient Karakorum. Aside from some sections of stone wall, there is little remaining of the old city. On the basis of writings by the Flemish Franciscan missionary and explorer, William of Rubruck (1248–1255), Erdene Zuu Monastery was built on the site of Khan’s palace. The following day we toured Erdene Monastery, built in 1585 using masonry taken from Karakorum’s ruins. Initial plans called for the monastery to be surrounded by 108 stupas (108 is a sacred number in Buddhism). However, many stupas and sections of the monastery’s walls were never completed. At its peak in 1872, the monastery had 60 temples and housed more than a thousand monks. Regrettably, much of Erdene Zuu was destroyed in 1939. Some temples were rebuilt and in 1947, the monastery’s surviving buildings were converted into a museum.
My guide had made a reservation for us to spend the night in a traditional Mongolian tent called a ger. However, on our arrival we found that the camping area was closed. For the next two hours we drove to several villages searching for alternate lodging. With few options, we settled on what could be described as a “half star” hotel. On the positive side, I had a private room with a bathroom. However, the building was without heat and electricity and the bathroom had no running water. It was just as well since the sink and floor leaned precariously to one side and the bathtub was covered with splinters of wood and other debris from a recent water leak. Returning to Ulaanbaatar, my guide and I dined at a Russian restaurant before attending a show featuring traditional Mongolian music and dance.
