In the high steppe of Asia, there lies a country of intrigue, a land where ancient customs and traditions are still practiced daily. Between 1206 and 1294, the Mongolian empire under the control of Genghis Khan and his direct descendants was the largest continuous empire to ever exist covering a staggering 24 million km² (three times the size of Australia!) The Mongols by nature were excellent at riding and shooting and they took possession of the world through bow and horse. A
famous Persian quote foretells of the foreboding Mongol expansion ‘They came, they burnt, they slew, they plundered, and they departed’. However, the great empire finally collapsed in the 14 th century due to internal strife, succession disputes, and external pressures.
One of the lasting legacies of the Mongol empire was the fabled Silk Road. During the expansion of theMongol empire, the entirety of the Silk Road from East to West was in relative peace, thus, leading to greater trade and theexchange of cu lture, ideas and religion. In fact, it was a 16 th century Mongol ruler who bestowed the title of the first Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhism. It was due to this influence that today Mongolia’s main religion is Tibetan Buddhism followed by Islam,
Shamanism and Christianity.
Today, Mongolia is one of the worlds most sparsely populated countries and a significant portion of the population live a traditional nomadic lifestyle in yurts and herd livestock across the vast inland pasturelands.
A country once visited will never be forgotten.