Karakorum Ancient Site

This post is part of the Mongolia Week series of posts for February 22-28.

The ancient capital of the Mongol Empire ruled by Genghis Khan, Karakorum (a.k.a. Har Horin or Kharkhorum) is now a historic site and grassland designated by UNESCO as part of the Orhon (Orkhon) Valley Cultural Landscape in central MONGOLIA, specifically in northern Övörhangay province. Karakorum's ancient grounds are located northeast of the city Karakorum (Harhorin) and northeast of Khangai Nuruu National Park. As shown below in the Google Maps embedded window, Erdene Zuu Monastery is a still-standing structure in ancient Karakorum. It is a Buddhist monastery built in the late 1500s. Finally, the region in which Karakorum is located is dominated by nomadic lifestyles. Ancient nomads like the ones living in Mongolia today helped create the Silk Road and other important trading routes in Central Asia. More information about the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape (↗) is found on the UNESCO World Heritage website.