Some cultural aspects of Mongolia

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Mongolia is the 19th largest and the most sparsely populated independent country in the world, with a population of around 2.75 million people. It is also the world's second-largest landlocked country after Kazakhstan. Approximately 30% of the population are nomadic or semi-nomadic. The predominant religion in Mongolia is Tibetan Buddhism, and the majority of the state's citizens are of the Mongol ethnicity, though Kazakhs, Tuvans, and other minorities also live in the country, especially in the west. The Culture of Mongolia has been heavily influenced by the Mongol nomadic way of life. Other important influences are from Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, and from China. Since the 20th century, Russian and, via Russia, European culture have had a strong effect on Mongolia.

TEXT FROM WIKIPEDIA, cba SOME RIGHTS RESERVED.

PHOTO BY Mark Lehmkuhler, cbd Some rights reserved

Published: 2012-03-25 11:00:00 UTC

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Orkhon Valley

Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape sprawls along the banks of the Orkhon River in Central Mongolia. It was inscribed by UNESCO in the World Heritage List as representing evolution of nomadic pastoral traditions spanning more than two millennia. For many centuries, the Orkhon Valley was viewed as the seat of the imperial power of the steppes.

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Stone Turtle at Karakorum

Karakorum was the capital of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, and of the Northern Yuan in the 14-15th century. Karakorum was founded in the basin of the river Orkhon by Genghis Khaan in 1220 as a major military centre. However, in 15 years it became an administrative and cultural centre of the mongol empire.

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Erdene Zuu Monastery

The Erdene Zuu Monastery is probably the most ancient surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia, adjacent to the ancient city of Karakorum and part of the World Heritage Site entitled Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape. The Erdene Zuu monastery was built in 1585 by Abtai Sain Khan, upon the second introduction of Tibetan Buddhism into Mongolia. Stones from the ruins of Karakorum were used in construction. The monastery temples wall were painted, and the Chinese-style roof was covered with green tiles. Although these first temples featured the Chinese architectural styles, the further development enriched the architecture of Mongolia with Tibetan, Indian and unique Mongolian styles.

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Erdenne Zuu Monk

The Erdene Zuu Monastery is surrounded by a wall featuring 100 stupas. The number 108, being a sacred number in Buddhism, and the number of beads in a Buddhist rosary, was probably envisioned, but never achieved.

TEXT FROM WIKIPEDIA, cba SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOTO BY Fabrizio Salazar, cbn Some rights reserved

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Naadam

Naadam is a traditional type of festival in Mongolia. The festival is also locally termed "eriin gurvan naadam" "the three games of men". The games are Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery and are held throughout the country during the midsummer holidays. In 2010, Naadam was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO.

TEXT FROM WIKIPEDIA, cba SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOTO BY Mark Fischer, cba Some rights reserved

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Archers during Naadam

Naadam is the most widely watched festival among Mongols, and is believed to have existed for centuries in one fashion or another. Naadam has its origin in the activities, such as military parades and sporting competitions such as archery, horse riding and wrestling, that followed the celebration of various occasions. Now it formally commemorates the 1921 revolution when Mongolia declared itself a free country.

TEXT FROM WIKIPEDIA, cba SOME RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOTO BY Mark Fischer, cba Some rights reserved

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Horse Riding

Horse riding is especially central to Mongolian culture. The long-distance races that are showcased during Naadam festivals are one aspect of this, as is the popularity of trick riding. One example of trick riding is the legend that the Mongolian military hero Damdin Sükhbaatar scattered coins on the ground and then picked them up while riding a horse at full gallop.

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Ger in Uvs Province

The traditional Mongolian dwelling is known as yurt (ger). According to Mongolian artist and art critic N. Chultem, yurts and tents were the basis for the development of traditional Mongolian architecture. In the 21st century, between 30% and 40% of the population live in yurts, many of them in the suburbs of cities.

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Inside Yurt

The internal organisation and furnishing mirrors the traditional roles of the family members as well as spiritual concepts, giving special significance to each of the cardinal directions, with the door always facing south. Herders use the position of the sun in the crown of the yurt as a sundial. The northeastern quarter of the yurt is reserved for the woman.

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Childrens at Ulaangom

The Yurt (Ger) is part of the Mongolian national identity. The Secret History of the Mongols mentions Genghis Khan as the leader of all people who live in felt tents, and even today a large share of Mongolia's population lives in, even in Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolian word for yurt, ger, also means home, and a number of other words are derived from its word stem. For example, gerlekh means to marry. In Mongolia, yurts have influenced other architectural forms, particularly temples.

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Ulan Bator

Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar (literally "Red Hero") is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. It is the cultural, industrial, and financial heart of the country. The city was founded in 1639 as a movable (nomadic) Buddhist monastic centre. In 1778 it settled permanently at its present location, the junction of the Tuul and Selbe rivers.

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Government Palace, Ulan Bator

PHOTO BY Mark Lehmkuhler, cbd Some rights reserved

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Gandantegchinlen Monastery

The Gandantegchinlen Monastery, is a Tibetan-style monastery in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. The monastery was established in 1835 by the Fifth Jebtsundamba, then Mongolia's highest reincarnated lama. It became the principal center of Buddhist learning in Mongolia. In the 1930s, the Communist government of Mongolia, under the leadership of Khorloogiin Choibalsan and under the influence of Joseph Stalin, destroyed all but a few monasteries and killed more than 15.000 lamas. Gandantegchinlen Khiid monastery, having escaped this mass destruction, was closed in 1938, but then reopened in 1944 and allowed to continue as the only functioning Buddhist monastery, under a skeleton staff, as a token homage to traditional Mongolian culture and religion.