What is known about Mongolia to a simple Russian man in the street? There are many endless steppes, the Gobi desert and Genghis Khan was born in this country. That’s probably all. However, a country with such a long history and cultural identity is full of other equally interesting features.
Delicious food, interesting customs, stunning landscapes and simple-minded people - that's what thousands of tourists annually visit Mongolia for.
Of course, service is not as well developed here as in Western Europe, there are no elite ski resorts or azure beaches. However, a tourist who knows a lot about oriental flavor and philosophy will definitely want to visit this country full of unsolved mysteries.
We present you 10 interesting facts about Mongolia.
10. Felt city
American vice president Henry Wallace once called Ulaanbaatar “felt city”. If we take the Mongolian coat of arms, it is clear that it is made of wood and wool. As the association of manufacturers of Mongolian wool notes, Mongolian wool is tight and porous, which creates a vacuum environment, which is why it is in great demand.
9. Demand for culture
Almost three million Mongols, who inherited their vast lands from their ancestors, are co-owners of the State Opera and Ballet Theater. Famous artists and dancers from such world-famous theaters as the Boston Ballet and the Russian Bolshoi Theater performed at this theater.
On the stages of the Mongolian theaters - in the capital and in the countryside - classical and modern plays are regularly performed. The exhibition halls showcase contemporary art.
Mongolia is home to a creative environment for world-renowned and award-winning filmmakers, Olympic champions and internationally renowned scholars. Every Mongol living in Mongolia or abroad is a proud modern nomad.
8. Tidal wave of young blood
A third of the population of Mongolia are residents aged 18 to 35 years. Therefore, we can say with confidence that the future of this country is in good hands, since many of the young generation study abroad and return to apply their knowledge in their own country.
7. Part of the famous Silk Road
Mongolia is the center of all Mongolian tribes and cultures. Historically, one of the routes of the Silk Road and the Tar Road passed through Mongolia. Now the Trans-Siberian Railway passes through the country from north to south and is a great way to travel for those who like traveling by train.
6. Genghis Khan - the most famous Mongol
Historians consider Genghis Khan the founder of Mongolia. He achieved tremendous power through the unification of most of the scattered nomadic tribes living in the territory of modern Mongolia and created one of the largest and most powerful empires in the world, which was second only to the 19th century British empire.
For 25 years, the soldiers of Genghis Khan conquered a vast territory and subjugated more people than the Roman Empire in 4 centuries.
Everyone knows the birthplace of Genghis Khan, but the place of his burial remains a secret. Legend has it that in order to keep this secret 2,000 people who saw Genghis Khan's funeral were killed by 800 soldiers. After which, the soldiers killed themselves.
The monument to Genghis Khan near the capital of Mongolia is considered the tallest equestrian statue in the world (40 meters).
Long before the conquest of Mongolia by China, this country captured China.
In the XIII century, a large nation was enslaved by the grandson of Genghis Khan - Khubilai, who became the first emperor of the Chinese Yuan Dynasty.
5. The story of a crying camel
A film of the same name was nominated for the 2005 Academy Awards Best Documentary. “The story of a crying camel” provides a rare opportunity for the viewer to see the mysterious Mongolia from the inside out..
Biamasuren Dava made a documentary in 2003 with director and cameraman Luigi Falorni while studying at the College of Television and Film in Munich.
The documentary shows the internal connection of the Mongols with nature. When amazing folk music sounds in this picture, the viewer can feel how the connection between the camel-mother and her child, which she rejected, is being restored.
4. Mongolian Cashmere
400-meter sand dunes are not the only thing Mongolia is famous for today. Gobi Cashmere is the first cashmere company in Mongoliaranks fifth among its competitors with more than 20 branded stores worldwide.
3. Cuisine of Mongolia
Mongolian cuisine abounds in high-calorie meat dishes, which are unlikely to suit fans of a healthy diet, but lovers will like delicious and satisfying food.
In the capital of this country, many restaurants now offer real authentic Mongolian food, and this is not only the Mongolian lamb, as most tourists expect.
Of course, meat is the main component of Mongolian cuisine, which was born in accordance with the lifestyle of the ancestors of modern Mongols and their climate. Today, Modern Nomads Restaurant, one of Mongolia's leading restaurant chains, serves traditional dishes made with modern, local produce.
For example, "deer wigwam”Is a dish with fried lamb ribs that looks just like a tipi reindeer herder. “Great Mongol Empire ” - This is another dish that should be ordered, because it allows the tourist to taste different traditional Mongolian dishes at once.
2. Treasures hidden under the ancient seabed
National women's clothing in Mongolia, especially hats and accessories, is traditionally adorned with various gems, including red coral. But where do these corals come from? They all happen from the Mongolian Gobi - an ancient seabed rich in rare red corals.
Roy Andrews is a famous traveler and archaeologist from the United States, thanks to his work in the early twenties of the last century, the bones of extinct creatures were found in the Gobi. It was they who became the first finds of rare species of prehistoric animals. There is a version that Andrews became the prototype of the famous movie hero - the adventurer Indiana Jones.
1. The alphabet
Before the adoption of the Cyrillic alphabet in 1946, the Mongols used a vertical script containing only 26 characters (with the exception of characters for foreign letters). Today, the traditional font, along with writing, is turning into a real art form.
The modern alphabet of Mongolia differs from Russian in the presence of two other letters: Ө and Ү.
The introduction of the Cyrillic alphabet in Mongolia was necessary to establish a direct link between the spoken language of the majority of residents and written speech. At that time, it was believed that outdated Mongolian writing was not accessible to the study of most ordinary Mongols, since the forms of words used in it were, to a large extent, not used for a long time. In this case, people would have had to learn the language of the Middle Ages from scratch, which was not familiar to most residents of modern Mongolia.
The introduction of the Cyrillic alphabet was carried out on the basis of the Khalkhas dialect (thus, the pronunciation of Tsai was finally fixed to the word “tea” when introducing the Cyrillic alphabet, while in the old Mongolian language the letters h and q did not differ by ear).