Cultural sightseeing in Mongolia. What to visit - museums, temples, castles and palaces

Mongolia is an ancient state. The modern country is the heir of the great Mongolian empire. Most of the museums in the country are concentrated in the largest city – Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolian National History Museum showcases an exhibition from the time of the Paleolithic down to the present day. In this museum, visitors can get acquainted with the amazing history of the Mongolian Empire, the prerequisites for its origin, and visit archaeological, ethnographic and historical exhibitions. The museum is the richest and the very first in Mongolia, and therefore it is best to get acquainted with the country starting here. The collections are constantly replenished, among which are artifacts from the excavation of the tomb of Bilge-Khagan Bogu, whose burial dates back to the 8th century.

The Mongolian Museum of Fine Arts named after Zanabazar, offers its guests the opportunity to get acquainted with national Mongolian paintings. The museum stores more than 18,000 paintings and artifacts. The largest collection is dedicated to the legendary Mongolian sculptor and portraitist Zanabazar. Among other expositions is a collection of early medieval art, Mongolian-Tibetan printing and religious paintings. The museum has the world’s largest collection dedicated to Mongolian art. The Museum of Fine Arts also offers visitors an opportunity to get acquainted with the paintings. To a large extent, this museum is dedicated to the Buddhist Sangha. Nonetheless, it also features a collection connected with the work of Zanabazar.

In the Museum of Natural History, there are 40 offices decorated in the style of the Stalin Empire. The entrance to the museum is decorated with two lion statues made of stone. In total, the museum showcases more than 12,000 exhibits. Among them; eggs of dinosaurs, skeletons of mammoths, and stuffed animals including a snow leopard. One of the key exhibits of the museum are the skeletons of tyrannosaurus and Diplodocus who lived in the Gobi Desert more than 65 million years ago. The building of the National History Museum in Ulaanbaatar is a landmark structure and a striking example of Mongolian architecture. Documents telling about the history of the city, archaeological finds, paintings, historical exhibits and collections of silver have been preserved in the museum. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

There are also several museum houses in Ulaanbaatar that tell about the famous people who lived in the city for a while. Among the most famous is the house-museum of the Roerichs, in which the family of the Russian artist, historian and philosopher Nicholas Roerich spent the winter of 1926-1927. In this museum are volumes of his teachings, a statue of Buddha, and an iron Buddhist stupa located at the entrance to the museum. The house-museum of G.K Zhukov was opened during the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the victory of the Mongolian-Soviet army in Khalkhyn Gol. For almost a year, the famous Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov lived here with his family. In three halls of the exposition, you will find memorial photos, a chronicle of military events, personal belongings and archives.

40 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar, there is a whole complex dedicated to the legendary leader of the Mongolian Empire, Genghis Khan. In the center of the complex is the equestrian statue of Genghis Khan which is the largest in the world. The height of the statue is 40 meters. It is covered with stainless steel and it weighs more than 250 tons. The statue is surrounded by 36 columns which symbolize the Khans of the Mongolian Empire. Under the statue is a two-story pedestal which houses an art gallery, a museum, a billiard room and several restaurants. On the head of the horse which sits Genghis Khan, there is an observation deck from which opens a breathtaking view of the boundless Mongolian Steppe.

In the city of Darkhan, you should visit the Kharaagiin Khiid monastery which is a functioning Buddhist monastery. The Museum of Traditional Folk Art showcases an interesting collection of Mongolian traditional clothing, items related to their religion including Shamanism, archaeological finds, and stuffed animals. In the city of Erdenet, there is another large Buddhist temple, Gandanshaduvlin. Next to it, a Buddhist complex is being constructed. A 17-meters tall Buddha statue will be erected in its center. Another place worth visiting is the Mining Museum which is located on the central square of the city.