You will enjoy the western Mongolia and Mongolian biggest 2 lakes, Uvs and Khyargas.

Kharkhorum: Ancient Capital City.

Located 373 km-s from Ulaanbaatar and 138 km-s north of Arvaikheer, this important village is the administrative centre of the Kharkhorin soum nowadays.

Once were the imperial site of Kharakhorum is located on the right bank of the Orkhon River and on the North Eastern slopes of the empire for only 32 years of those 140 years since 13th century. It served first of all as a base camp for the leader of the Kereit tribe, before being used by Chinggis Khaan in 1222 as a supply point for the Mongol armies. Cereals were grown there to feed the army, agricultural implements and weapons were cast there.

Almost nothing remains of the Imperial site of Karakorum.

In 1235, Ogoodei, son and successors of Chingis, surrounded it by a rampart measuring approximately 1.7 km-s by 1 kilometre; it was during his regn that Karakorum became a true urban, diplomatic, and commercial centre. Despite this, it managed to retain a strongly nomadic appearance. the palace was built only for official receptions, and the court did not live in town and instead setup their camps in the surrounding area.

The choice of the location of  Karakorum as the imperial site in the 13th century prepetuated an ancient habit of systematically placing the centre of successive ‘empires of the steppes’ in Orkhon Valley, and more precisly within a perimeter of some 50 km-s around the sites of Erdene Zuu and Karakorum. The Mongols simply continued the old tradition followed earlier by the Xiongnu (IIIth -IInd centuries BC), the Ruan-Ruan (Ivth -VIth centuries BC) ...etc. The remains of Uighur capital (VIIIth-IXth centuries AD) Khar Balgas or Ordo Balik, are only 25 km-s north-west of Erdene Zuu Monastery.     

Erdene Zuu Monastrey

Located North-West of the imperial site at Karakorum, this monastery was built on the site of the ruins of the ancient Mongol captital. The construction of Erdenezuu began in the 16th century and continued until the middle of the 19th century. the temples often suffered fire or attack over the years.

At the beggining of the 20th century, there were more than 600 temple halls and places of worship there, making it the most powerful of the Khalkh monasteries. but the purges of the 1930s finished off most of the temples and today only three remain. What was left of the great monastic complex was turned into a meseum in 1965. the remains from the old capitals of the khaans and from the old capitals of the khaans and from the palace-monastery were displayed here. Erdenezuu re-opened as a place of worship in 1990, although it also serves as a meseum.

The 108 stupa enclosure

A wall of stupas (suburgan in Mongolian), 400 meters, surrounds the Erdenezuu monatery. Each stupa was erected in commentration of a particular event, related in the inscriptions on each one. The stupa is formed of three parts: the base, the reliquary, and the spire of thirteen rings crowned by a cosmic emblem. Some harbour remains of the great lamas, mummified in salt and mercury and wrapped in strips of cloth covered in ashes, clay and gold or silver. the Golden Stupa, or Bodhi Suburgan is located near the centre of the monastery.

this stupa belongs to a type known as ‘of the sacred Tree of Enlightment’. Inside it are representation of 100,000 different Buddhas and 55,070 bodhisuburgan. it is surrounded by eight smaller stupas.

in the western sector, the most sacred section (the male side of the ger), holds several notable buildings. The first is the Hall of the Dalai Lama. Designed to frighten evil spirits, they form a limit that must not be passed by pilgrims on horseback.

The Palace of Ogodei (Palace of the10,000 Prosperities )

The Palace of Ogodei was built in the southwest part of town, on the shores of an artificial lake. Only its foundations remains. Excavations carried out in 1949 uncovered ceramic and metallic objects, some of which are on display at Erdene Zuu. The others are now in Mesuems. These objects include large iron cauldrans used by the Mongol army, pieces of glazed tiles, stone statues and stone inscripitions. The Excavations also revealed Buddhist frescoes, evidence of the presence of temple on the palace site. This palace was of some importance, as testified by the large tumulus, which still remains. the main courtyard of the palace had a surface area of 1,200 square metres. the emperor lived there only twice a year, at the beginning of spring and the summer.

It is likely the monks brought one of the stone lions in Kharakhorin from one of the ancient funerary sites of the Orkhon Valley, such as Khoshoo-Tsaidam (in Arkhangai). Between thelion sculptures are bases of columns. These seem to have served as supports for 2 stone cups. The only evidance of old Karakorum are barely visable remains of the diversion canals built under Ogodei.

German Mongolian joint expeditiion has worked in here from 1999 and found a new exploration from the remains of the main walls. There has been found in evidance and declared  in 2002, at that time they had used the heating system in the castle.

Turtle rock 

Kharkhorin has 2 turtle rocks, one lies in North of the Erdene Zuu monastery, the other one lies on the top of South mountain in Kharkhorin, which is first placed in XIIIth century. 

The turtle stones had been placed in Krarkorum city’s each corner  and it has been sacred and believed protects from any unwanted dangers and symbolizes existance forever. From these 4 turtle rocks has left only one, which lies in South mountain in Kharkhorin city today.

this turtle rock been copied in 1990 and placed in North of the Erdene zuu monastery.