Kharkhorin is located in the Orkhon Valley, in today’s Uvurkkhangai Aimag (province) and the area is designated both a National Park as well as The Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape – Unesco World Heritage Site . The archaeological remains collectively reflect the symbiotic relationship between nomadic, pastoral societies and their administrative and religious centers, and the importance of the Orkhon valley in the history of central Asia. The site demonstrates clearly how a strong and persistent nomadic culture led to the development of extensive trade networks and the creation of large administrative, commercial, military and religious centers.
Mongolia’s Ancient Capital Virtual Tour
While today’s visitors only can see remains of Kharkhorin and previous settlements and structures at various sites in this landscape in the heartland of Mongolia, it is more the impression of Erdenezuu Monastery that remains with the visitor.
To provide a better understanding of Mongolia’s Ancient Capital 800 years ago, a group of historians, artists and IT experts generated a virtual reality view of old Kharkhorin. They made the site available to share. It is embedded below. The original site is here. Enjoy the visit to Mongolia’s Ancient Capital !
Being the residence of the religious dignitaries of Mongolia, the camp, founded originally by Ondor gegeen Janabajar in the 17th century, moved several times until it finally settled down in 1855 in the present Ulaanbaatar basin. The present article describes the sources regarding the monastic city, gives a short overview about its history, and describes its districts and their temples at the beginning of the 20th century. From the more than 100 temples that existed once in Ulaanbaatar only a few survived the monastery demolition of 1937–1939. The present conditions of the old monastic sites are summarized in the end of the paper.
During its regular session on January 17, the Cabinet supported the draft resolution on taking a total of 189,363.19 hectares of area in the territories of Ugiinuur and Khashaat soums of Arkhangai aimag, and Kharkhorin soum of Uvurkhangai aimag under the state special needs with a purpose for establishing a New KharKhorum city.
Following the Decree of the President of Mongolia No. 230 of 2022 on Restoring the Ancient Capital of the Great Mongol Empire, Kharkhorum, and the Resolution of the State Great Khural of 2023 on the establishment of the New Kharkhorum City in the Orkhon Valley, the administration responsible for the development of New Kharkhorum city was established by the Government Resolution No. 40, and the development of the necessary basic research, the Feasibility Study, and the general development plan have already started.
The Prime Minister of Mongolia instructed the relevant Ministers and the Governors of the aimags to carry out a detailed survey on the land of citizens, enterprises, and organizations affected by land for special state needs, transfer and release of the land of citizens, enterprises and organizations following the general development plan of New Kharkhorum City, and calculate the compensation and take measures to solve the financing under the relevant laws and regulations.
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