ERDENE ZUU (Arkhangai Province)

ERDENE ZUU (Arkhangai Province)

The symbolic ruins of Karakorum, monumental walls (400m/121ft) with 108 stupas, surround the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia Erdene Zuu (Hundred Treasures) Monastery. In 1792, it housed 62 temples and 10,000 lamas; since 1990, it has become an active monastery again. Today it retains much of its former glory.

Enclosed in an immense walled compound, the 3 temples within are dedicated to the 3 stages of a Buddha's life: as a child, adolescent and adult. The main, central temple is called the Zuu of Buddha and has statues of Buddha as a child. Outside the monastery walls are 2 "turtle rocks". Four of these once marked the boundaries of ancient Karakorum.

Nearby, Turkish monuments and rock inscriptions erected in 8-9th centuries in memory of outstanding fighters for independence.