Day 11 – Leaving the countryside

We enjoyed our last outdoor breakfast, before heading to Kharkhorin.

In Kharkhorin, we visited the Erdene Zuu Monastery, the first center of Lama Buddhism in Mongolia. The construction of the monastery started in 1586 and continued for over 300 years. At its peak there were over 1.000 monks living here. In the 1930s during the purges most of the temples were destroyed. Nowadays, the monastery is slowly being rebuilt. Near Kharkhorin and adjacent to the Monastery used to be the ancient capital of Mongolia, Kharkhorum.
Archaeological excavations onsite are still ongoing and many questions are still unanswered.

On this hot day, we enjoyed a visit to the museum to learn more about the area and its significance during past times, followed by the visit to the grounds of the Erdene Zuu Monastery. 

Erdene Zuu Monastery

Stupa in Erdene Zuu Monastery

Temple in Erdene Zuu Monastery

Still active monastery

A place to rest

This stone turtle once marked the boundaries of ancient Karakorum, acting as protector of the city

Tonights ger camp

All you need is… a comfy bed, a table and chair and an oven

Stupa white