Ulaanbaatar is the capital city of Mongolia. Set in the rolling foothills of the Bogd Mountain range, on the banks of the majestic Tuul River, Ulaanbaatar is the gateway to Mongolia. Ulaanbaatar, historically known as Urga, was originally established in 1639 as a nomadic encampment, which shifted from place to place until it settled in its present location in 1778. The city, situated at an altitude of 1,351 meters above sea level, stretches from east to west across the Tuul River valley. It has a population of around 800 000 and a surface area of 135,800 hectares. Holy mountains surround it; the Bogd Uul Mountain to the south, the Songino Mountain to the west, the Bayanzurkh Mountain to the east and the Chingeltei Mountain to the north. The city has the only international airport in the country and the Trans-Siberian railway crosses Mongolia from north to south, stopping in Ulaanbaatar, connecting Moscow and Beijing.

Sukhbaatar Square
This large and famous landmark is the heart of Ulaanbaatar where the Parliament, the Government House, Stock Exchange and many other important establishments are concentrated. It is named after Sukhbaatar, the famous patriot, whose statue is the main attraction on this square.

Gandan Monastery
Gandan is the largest and most significant monastery in Mongolia and one of Ulaanbaatar’s most interesting sights. Built in the mid 19th century, it is the only monastery where Buddhist services continued during the communist years. Temples are flocked by visitors during religious services that start at 10 a.m. and last until mid day. Most important part of a monastery is the Megjid Janraiseg temple and inside is the 25.6 meter and 20 ton Avalokiteshvara-Janraiseg statue. The deity was consecrated in 1996, is hollow and contains a storehouse of precious items including sutras, medicinal herbs, bundles of Buddhist mantras and even a fully furnished ger. The statue was built with donations of Mongolian people as symbol of Buddhist revival in the mid 1990’s.

 

National History Museum
The museum houses a rich collection of historical and ethnographic exhibitions dating back to the period when first human beings resided in Central Asia. It has displays on several millennia of the history of Mongolia – beginning with the Stone Age, running through the Turkic and Mongol empires, the rise of Buddhism, the communist regime and ends with a colourful display of contemporary society.

The Natural History Museum
Located near the city center the museum displays exhibits on the geography, geology, botany, fauna and palaeontology of Mongolia. Among the treasures on display are 800 objects from the lower Cambrian Age (500 million years ago) to the Quaternary Age (10,000 to 15,000 years ago), including fossils of vertebrates, plants, leaf prints, dinosaurs and mammals. The specimens of dinosaur skeletons and bones vary in size from a few centimetres to over 30 meters tall, and several are to be found only in Mongolia.

 

The Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts contains many valuable art collections, including priceless sculptures of 21 Taras and other renowened works by Zanabazar, the famous 17th century Mongolian sculptor and icon painter. Various sizes of tankas and religious paintings of Buddha are another key feature of the museum.

Choijin Lama Monastery
This complex of temples was built between 1904 and 1908 for the Choijin Lama (a monastic title) Lubsankhaidav, the State Oracle and younger brother of the eighth Bogd Gegeen, and is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Mongolia. This is the only museum where all religious objects are kept ready for Buddhist chanting ceremonies and this is why it is called a temple museum. The museum is famous for its collection of Buddhist artworks, original silk icons and tsam dancing masks.

 

Opera and Theaters
The Drama Theater or Opera /Ballet House and State Circus offers a fascinating array of folk shows, national or classic opera and ballet, and amazing contortionist performances.

Winter Palace of Bogd Khan
Uilt between 1893 and 1903, the Winter Palace of Bogd Khan was the home of the Mongolia’s last king Javzun Damba Khutagt VIII. This complex of temples and houses contains a number of Buddhist artworks and the private collection of the Bogd Khan, composed of gifts from rulers and kings from all over the world. The artworks displayed here were made by the top Mongolian, Tibetan and Chinese master-sculptors of the 18th and 19th centuries and represent the gods of the Buddhist pantheon.

 

Zaisan Memorial
Located to the south of Ulaanbaatar, Zaisan Hill Memorial was erected on the 50th anniversary of the Communist Revolution and honors the Soviet and Mongolian soldiers who died in WWII in the fight against Japan and Nazi Germany. Next to the monumental statue of the soldier, a mosaic composition on a large circular panel in reinforced concrete illustrates the theme of friendship between Mongol and Soviet peoples. In the center of it a large granite bowl holds an eternal flame. A good view can be had over the capital.