Due to natural geographical conditions, the lifestyle of people in Mongolia has traditionally been nomadic, moving with their livestock to find pasture. Their dwellings are movable Mongolian yurts. Therefore, only during a few brief periods of centralized political rule were cities built as political centers. This has resulted in very few historical relics preserved within Mongolia’s territory. Most of the existing historical sites are located within the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape, which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
The Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape includes vast pastures along both banks of the Orkhon River and numerous archaeological sites dating back as early as the 6th century. These include the capital ruins of the Uyghur Empire, the Mongol Empire’s capital Karakorum, the summer palace of Ögedei Khan, the Xiongnu’s three connected cities, and the tomb of the Xiongnu chanyu (ruler), among others.
At the heart of these landscapes lies the Karakorum Ancient City ruins. Through the passage of history, today only partial remains on the vast grasslands testify to the existence of this former capital of the Mongol Empire.
Let’s step into the preserved architectural ruins and explore the glory of the Mongol Empire’s greatest era.
In 1220, Genghis Khan established the first capital of the Mongol Empire—Karakorum—based on the ancient cities of the Kerait tribe or the Uyghur capital. By 1235, Genghis Khan’s son, Ögedei Khan, began large-scale construction of Karakorum. Subsequently, Khubilai and Möngke Khan also used Karakorum as their capital. During the Mongol Empire’s height, Karakorum flourished in various aspects such as animal husbandry, agriculture, commerce, handicrafts, religion, education, science, technology, and political diplomacy, becoming the political, economic, and cultural center of the empire.
Due to the vast expanse of the Mongol Empire at the time, by the mid-13th century Karakorum could be considered the center of the world. From Vienna on the banks of the Danube to Bianliang (Kaifeng) by the Yellow River, from the cold Russian steppes to the scorching deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, more than half of the Eurasian continent was under the city’s rule. People from around the world gathered here, various religions blended together, and diverse cultures intersected—truly a scene of great prosperity.
However, after the reign of Möngke Khan, the Mongol Empire fell into internal strife. It was not until Kublai Khan emerged victorious from the conflicts and became the new Great Khan that he established the Yuan capital at Dadu and moved the capital southward. From then on, Karakorum ceased to be the capital, and the city began its decline.
The overall layout and palace construction style of Karakorum blended cultural features from both the Central Plains Han Chinese and the northern nomadic peoples. The city was mainly composed of two parts: the Outer City and the Palace City. The outer city walls formed an irregular rectangle, with one gate on each of the four sides. Inside the walls were two main streets running east-west and north-south, intersecting at the city center and leading to the gates. The Palace City referred to the Wan’an Palace located in the southwest part of the city. Today, some ancient architectural remains can still be seen within the ruins, offering great value for appreciation and study.
On the vast grasslands, there are not only galloping wild horses and soaring herders’ songs, but also a history and culture that remain radiant despite the ravages of wind and sand.
