Here are photos from my stay in Mongolia between 2006 and 2007. I’m not a very good photographer and the photos are made by ordinary compact camera, so please excuse the photo quality. But maybe it will be useful for you when you are planning a trip to Mongolia or just want to see how beautiful it is there. All images are free to use anywhere you want.
More of my photos from Mongolia can be found here: Freepix.eu/tag/mongolia/
Amarbayasgalant monastery
Amarbayasgalant Monastery (Амарбаясгалант хийд – The monastery of tranquil blessedness) is one of three great Mongolian monasteries, which survived the communist purges at the end of the 30th of the 20 century. The monastery is situated in Selenge Province (Сэлэнгэ аймаг) in northern Mongolia. Amarbayasgalant Monastery was built between 1727 and 1736.
Batshireet
Batshireet (Батширээт) is a sum of Khentii Province (Хэнтий аймаг) in north eastern Mongolia. Batshireet sum is situated 400 km to the north east of Ulaanbaatar. There are few yurts, more popular are wooden cabins – unlike other parts of Mongolia, there is plenty of wood. Batshireet is popular not only because of the beautiful nature but also because of the possibility of catching fish.
Gachuurt (Гачуурт) is a settlement just a few kilometers from Ulaanbaatar, with a population of about 4000 people. It’s a great place for those who want relax from noisy Ulaanbaatar. You can just walk or do something good on the fire. Gachuurt and its surroundings looks like place somewhere far in the wild – but it is actually in Ulaanbaatar. Gachuurt I can only recommend.
Hövsgöl
Lake Hövsgöl (Хөвсгөл нуур) is the second largest lake in Mongolia (and the biggest by volume). There is drinkable fresh water and it holds 0.4% of all the fresh water in the world. The lake Hövsgöl offers great places for hiking, horseback riding and camping. It is a very popular tourist destination. In the vicinity of Lake Hövsgöl lives small unique culture of reindeer herders – Tsaatan or Dukha people (Цаатан).
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park (Горхи-Тэрэлж) is situated 37 km from Ulaanbaatar city center. It is favourite recreation place for Ulaanbaatar citizens and tourists, there is a lot of yurt camps – “ger camp”. Terelj has many suitable rocks for rock climbers. The best known are “Turtle Rock” and “the Old Man Reading a Book”. Terelj national park is very good place to outing through the mountains or in the walley along the river. Tourists often visit the park Terelj at the end of their stay in Mongolia, instance when they have a couple of days before departure.
Nalaih
Nalaih (Налайх) looks like separate city, but actually it is one of nine Düüregs (districts) of the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. Actually, there is nothing very interesting, maybe only new Buddhist monastery – in photos you can see the old one, the new monastery is much bigger. Other attractions in Nalaih are stone statues of people but especially Tonyukuk stele from the 8th century AD. Nalaih was founded after the year 1915 in connection with the opening of brown-coal mines. Once famous mines were closed after 1990 and now many of unemployed former miners mines coal illegally, which brings with it significant health risks. In the northern part of Nalaih, actually begins the Terelj National Park, so you can visit Nalaih when traveling to Terelj.
Erdene Zuu Monastery in Harhorin
Erdene Zuu Monastery (Эрдэнэ Зуу) in city of Harhorin (Хархорин) is situated in the northern part of Övörkhangai province (Өвөрхангай аймаг) of Mongolia. The Erdene Zuu monastery was built in 1585 by Abtai Sain Khan and it is one of only three big Mongolian monasteries which was not destroyed during communist era. Eredene Zuu monastery is surrounded by a wall featuring 100 stupas. During communist era was in Erdene Zuu monastery only a museum. Now there is both active monastery and museum that is open to tourists. Close to the Erdene Zuu monastery are a few remains of the city of Karakorum – the capital of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century.
Ulaanbaatar – the Capital of Mongolia.
Ulaanbaatar is a city full of contrasts. You can find here a modern downtown with high-rise buildings, many Buddhist monasteries and temples as well as a large yurt quarters which surrounds almost the entire Ulaanbaatar. On the following photos you can see photos taken in Ulaanbaatar in 2006 and 2007. There are some photos of Ulaanbaatar monasteries, a few photos from the nearest surroundings of the city but also for example the Ulaanbaatar cemetery photos or photos of camel races and camel polo. The photos were taken mostly in the winter Ulaanbaatar, so you do not see here, unfortunately, the beutiful of Mongolian verdant hills.
