Mongolia:)

Shaman consulting, Mongolia

Shaman, Mongolia

Lake Khövsgöl, Mongolia

Khuvsgul lake is located in the northwest of Mongolia near the Russian border, at the foot of the eastern Sayan Mountains. It is the second-most voluminous freshwater lake in Asia, and holds almost 70% of Mongolia's fresh water and 0.4% of all the fresh water in the world.

The lake is surrounded by several mountain ranges. The highest mountain is the Bürenkhaan / Mönkh Saridag (3,492 metres (11,457 feet)), which has its peak north of the lake exactly on the Russian-Mongolian border. The surface of the lake freezes over completely in winter. The ice cover in winter is strong enough to carry heavy trucks; transport routes were installed on its surface as shortcuts to the normal roads. However, this practice is now forbidden to prevent pollution of the lake from both oil leaks and trucks breaking through the ice. It is estimated that 30-40 vehicles have sunk into the lake over the years.

 

Erdene Zuu Monastery,Orkhon Valley / Mongolia

The Erdene Zuu Monastery is probably the earliest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. Located in Övörkhangai Province, approximately 2 km north-east from the center of Kharkhorin and adjacent to the ancient city of Karakorum, it is part of the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site.

Abtai Sain Khan, ruler of the Khalkha Mongols and grandfather of Zanabazar, the first Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, ordered construction of the Erdene Zuu monastery in 1585 after his meeting with the 3rd Dalai Lama and the declaration of Tibetan Buddhism as the state religion of Mongolia.Stones from the nearby ruins of the ancient Mongol capital of Karakorum were used in its construction.

The monastery was damaged in 1688 during one of the many wars between Dzungars and Khalkha Mongols. Locals dismantled the wooden fortifications of the abandoned monastery.It was rebuilt in the 18th century and by 1872 had a full 62 temples and housed up to 1000 monks.

According to tradition, in 1745 a local Buddhist disciple named Bunia made several unsuccessful attempts to fly with a device he invented similar to parachute.

Traditional wear from Mongolia :)

Beloved Mongolia :)

Mongolia is a landlocked sovereign state in East Asia. It is bordered by China to the south and Russia to the north. While it does not share a border with Kazakhstan, Mongolia is separated from Kazakhstan by only 36.76 kilometres (22.84 mi). Ulaanbaatar, the capital and largest city, is home to about 45% of the country's population.

In 1206, Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire, and his grandson Kublai Khan conquered China to establish the Yuan dynasty. In the 16th century, Tibetan Buddhism began to spread in Mongolia, by the early 1900s, almost one-third of the adult male population were Buddhist monks.

At 1,564,116 square kilometres Mongolia is the 19th largest and one of the most sparsely populated independent countries in the world, with a population of around 3 million people. The country contains very little arable land, as much of its area is covered by grassy steppe, with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south.Approximately 30% of the population is nomadic or semi-nomadic; horse culture is still integral.