An attempt to show you an uncommon place in the very middle of Asia far away from the temperate sea.

In contrast to its image, Mongolia has more to show than endless, plain, treeless steppe

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/2670/4297766.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/i/4297766.jpg/)
(panoramio)

some crystal clear lakes and untouched forests in the north where wolves and elks strive
http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/2799/13091021.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/i/13091021.jpg/)
(panoramio)

glacier wrapped peaks
http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6812/19659220.jpg (http://img188.imageshack.us/i/19659220.jpg/)
(panoramio)

and - of course - the Gobi desert with its sand dunes
http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/1849/3329986.jpg (http://img36.imageshack.us/i/3329986.jpg/)
(panoramio)


http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/8852/27637640dawnatkhongoryn.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/i/27637640dawnatkhongoryn.jpg/)
(pbase)

If you find these pictures interesting you should come around again soon to see some more pictures.

wow awesome pics more please thaks

Awesome photos!! Good thread. Regards.

Really great pictures!

we start in the south of Mongolia in Umnugovi province. Umnugovi is the souterhnmost province of Mongolia, right next to the Chinese border

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/7812/mapmnumnugobiaimag.png (http://img33.imageshack.us/i/mapmnumnugobiaimag.png/)
(wikipedia)

It has some more records to offer: the driest and hottest province (only minus 10 - 15 degrees C in winter!). The biggest comprising half the size as Germany or Poland and as big as Florida or Wisconsin.

It is also the least densely populated with less than 50.000 inhabitants.
And it may become the richest in the future: beneath the soil the worlds largest copper deposit was found, exploration is to start soon.

Needless to say it is a harsh and remote place but hosts some of Mongolia's main tourist attractions.
So many people take the long way of 600 km along bumpy roads to visit this desert region.

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/8774/23828205943389a43b6cb.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/i/23828205943389a43b6cb.jpg/)
(panoramio)

The dunes shown above in the first thread are the Khongoryn Els ("Singing Sand Dunes")

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/7367873.jpg

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/628/23790967152641e1db23o.jpg (http://img36.imageshack.us/i/23790967152641e1db23o.jpg/)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2376868543_7fdae23324_o.jpg
(flickr)

They measure 180 km in length and are 12 km wide in average.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/10145075.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/17086952.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/17086988.jpg
(www.geu.de)

Some dunes reach heights of over 100 meters.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/4370865.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/403145.jpg


But there are even bigger areas covered with vdunes in Mongolia which extend up to 300 km in length.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/4390438.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/4390444.jpg

These dunes are overshadowed by the Altai mountain range

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/7367934-1.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/20723005.jpg
(panoramio)

Astonishing place! Its so beautiful, and yet so hostile to life.

wow
that glacier wrapped peaks are awesome
hope I can be there some day
nice photograph btw
http://www.photosnag.com/img/4275/n09x0302vnsn/clear.gif

Beautiful nature

Astonishing place! Its so beautiful, and yet so hostile to life.


it is indeed, although the low humidity makes it tolerable and the winter temperatures are not as low as in Northern parts of country where the mercury can drop down to -40 to -50 degrees

I#ll put up some more photos later

Today's trip gonna take us to Khentii Aimag, named after the epitomous mountain range, which is located just east of Ulaanbaatar.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/17.jpg
(doncroner.com)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/22921621.jpg
(doncroner.com)

The aimag is about as big with Austria and inhabits 70.000 people.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/khentii_aimag.png
(wikipedia)

Much of the province is covered by the dense taiga forest.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/minj1-744726.jpg
(doncroner.com)

Major tourist sites include the are northeast just to the Russian border, which is the cradle of the Mongolian nation. The Burkhan Khaldun mountain is believed to be Genghis Khans birthplace.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/bhurkhankhaldun3.jpg
www.suuder.com.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/14.jpg
(doncroner.com)

It is said that Genghis Khan bathed in this river

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3631563919_2dec3594b5_o.jpg
(panoramio)

The Khentii mountain range is the lowest of the big four in Mongolia (Altia, Khangai, Khovsgol and Khentii)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/12.jpg
(flickr)


The highest peak reaches an altitude of 2800 meters. The region is so remote that I couldn't manage to find a photo of it in the internet. But at least some of the Hagin Har Nuur lake nearby.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/8283195.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3752546.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/8283222.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3706897957_7e408d77b0_o.jpg
(panoramio)

These photos were taken in late May...

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3669024740_0a6aba9060_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3665409985_93b086500a_o.jpg
(flickr)

Of course, the province offers great hiking, fishing, and rafting, but the locations for this are somehow difficult to access as no roads leads in the completely uninhabitated wilderness

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/4.jpg
(doncroner.com)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3669024994_9528f2829f_o.jpg

a shamanist "ovoo", worshipping site for travellers
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3669025718_751fbc19bb_o.jpg
(flickr)

Well, quite big contrast to the photos I posted before, isn't it? Both were actually taken in the same country.

Its so beautiful!!!!
Thanks for sharing!

BRAVO!!! Great pics. Thanks and keep the pics coming please!

nice landscapes!

NICE PICKSINCREDIBLE CONTRASTS

Thanks for your comments. So let's continue. Next pics arer from Khovd Aimag in Western Mongolia. Ethnic Mongolians only share a minority of the population, while there are a lot of other ethnicities wearing colurful clothes, among them Kazakhs with muslim belief.

One major sights are the Tsenkherin caves with stone age cave drawings. In Summer 2008 the aimag witnessed a total solar eclipse.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/Map_mn_khovd_aimag.png
(wiki)

The aimag is very far away from the capital and getting there by bus or jeep takes about 3-4 days. Nevertheless it's quite woth a visit for its canyonlands, oasis and snow covered peaks rising from the surrounding stark deserts.

The landscape is quite varied with a lot of peaks...
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3680942927_f48a66bd34_o.jpg
(flickr)

and more smoothe structurs, where glaciers rounded the terrain
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/cd65-s10.jpg
(krohnphotos)

Tsambagarav Uul at the border to Ulgii aimag, 4193 meters
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/20804799.jpg

Tsetseg Nuur (Flower Lake) near Sutai Uul (4090 meters)
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/13517312.jpg
(panoramio)

Buyant River. The rivers coming from the mountain tops never reach the sea but end up somewhere in the desert.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/cd65-s23.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/cd65-s30.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/cd65-s28.jpg
(krohn-photos)

There is still a lot more to come from this region but I do not want to crash your browser...so that's it for today

I love The Khentii Mountain. Regards.

Wow... great pictures!!!

Wow man its really very very beautiful pictures its very very nice,,,,,,,,,,,

Awesome photos!!

the next journey leads into Uvs aimag which is located in the extreme northeast of Mongolia near Russia

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/Map_mn_uvs_aimag.png

It is roughly as big as South Carolina or Bavaria and is home of 100.000 people one third of them living in the aimag center Ulaangom - a megalopolis for Mongolian standards.

The aimag is roughly located on the same latitude as Winnipeg, Vancouver and Frankfurt or Plymouth respectively. And it is extreme - as it has all forms of vegetations you can find on this latitude from glaciers to desert.

We start on the very bottom at Khyargas Lake.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2382821020_7f5747f26f_b.jpg
(www.geu.de)

Khyargas Lake is located 1100 meters above sea level

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/13467309.jpg

..and surrounded by flat arid desert steppe.
(panoramio)

Uvs Lake, after which the aimag is named is the lowest point in entire Western Mongolia, 753 meters above sea level. Some sand dunes can be found near the shoreline

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2645486212_626c852027_o.jpg

It is one of the most extreme pregions in terms of climate. In winter, -57 degrees C was recorded, in summer the temperatures rise up to 40 degrees. Uvs Nuur basin is home of the most northern desert worldwide and has the southernmost permafrost.

Time to leave this place and approach the mountains

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/ulaangom-nir.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2716364990_6480237b9c_b.jpg
(flickr)

Looking towards ~4000 meter Turgen and Kharkhiraa mountains

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2644662609_a8ec974c44_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2645499038_98972efd0f_o.jpg

(flickr)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2645497598_60879e793a_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2644673653_82b03478d1_o.jpg

in the canyon
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/10880425.jpg

looking back

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/11074985.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/10945704.jpg

leaving the dry steppe, the first trees appear
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2645480370_9e53329216_o.jpg

the trees turn into forest
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2644655683_5d853cf91c_o.jpg

(all flickr)

we enter the mountains

the left sight of the valley receives enough rain to support a forest, the right os covered by dry steppe
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/539520.jpg

further up the Turgen valley
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/539526.jpg

some nice lakes
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/6276803.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/11824397.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3795572.jpg

panoramio

it goes up, up, up

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2382814498_9c35d89b7b_b.jpg

the higher the altitude, the more lush the landscape

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2382815420_e10785f088_b.jpg
(flickr)

finally we reach the treeline at about 2500 meters
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3878971-1.jpg
(panoramio)

and enter the treeless plain. nomads leave the stifling hot lowlands in summer to let their cattle graze on the plains
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2381990495_67239086c6_b.jpg

finally we reach the top. This is Turgen mountain (4000 meters)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/10880397.jpg

And this is Kharhiraa mountain, some 4100 meters high.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/4462595-1.jpg

another view of a mountain near Turgen
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2382825558_9535033479_b.jpg

some more random pics from Western Mongolia will be posted on Friday:)

amazing amazing pics thaks a question Turgen and Kharhira are the highests mountains in mongolia

:applause: MONGOLIA, what an amazing place!!




:horse:

Amazing pictures! ;)

amazing amazing pics thaks a question Turgen and Kharhira are the highests mountains in mongolia


no, there are not, Tavan Bogd (4374) and Munkh Khairkhan (4362) beside some others are higher..

as promised some random photos from the Western part of the country in lose order

once again, Kharkiraa Uul
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/1016307.jpg

Khovd river
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/5582229.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/7515184.jpg

(all panoramio)

roads...

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/17045753.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/16909174.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/16715715.jpg

(panoramio)

mountains on the horizon
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/11164997-1.jpg

grazing cattle
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/223326.jpg

Olgii, a provincial capital with close to 30.000 inhaitants
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/1221465447_080d964c72_o.jpg

(panoramio)

very funny my last name has a word Mongol loll

its beautiful!

i think it would be strange to live there....even in tha capital city..

its beautiful!

i think it would be strange to live there....even in tha capital city..

actually...almost nobody lives outside the capital city;)

I will show some photos of people, culture and also provincial towns later

really beautiful stunning

Very nice Kharkiraa Uul, awesome. Regards.

Quite a place...!!


Interesting mountains...

And those pines, all next to each other, they're simply enchanting... :applause:

so let's have some more pines...we head north to Khovsgol aimag, which pokes Siberia into the belly

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/Map_mn_khuvsgul_aimag.png

with mountains, lakes, dense forests and log cabins it has with Siberia more in common as with the rest of Mongolia. It has about the size of East Germany or Teneesse. Some quick facts: its population is about 125.000 people, mainly Khalkh Mongols but also some minorities as Dukha which are reindeer breeding nomads. Its highest mounatain, Munkhul Sarydag is at 3491 meters. Even for Mongolian standards, it is a remote region although it has one of the major tourist attractions to offer, the epitomous lake:

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/d55n.jpg
(www.geu.de)

Khovsgol Lake is about 130 km long and extends in average 30 km from east to west.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3756943119_630d2ab01e_b.jpg
(flickr)

the lake is about 260km deep and cotains approx. 2% of the worlds freshwater reserves!

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3756939971_37a7e69c33_b.jpg

geologically it is one of the oldest lakes worldwide. Its altitude is 1624 meters

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3748288920_133f09a43f_o.jpg

and surrounded by mountain ranges which exceed 3000 meters with the Munkhu Sarydak being the heighest
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/4343638.jpg

3000+meters mountains on the northern shore which is not accessible by car

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/4343706.jpg

looking south
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/11076697.jpg

looking from western shore
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/11075996.jpg

the Munkhu Sarydag
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/11076682.jpg
(all panoramio)


I will put up some more photos within the week

stunining

OMG!

:drool:

This thread is excellent. Mongolia's landscapes are too nice!

:happy:

more of Khovsgol
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/6924269.jpg

the lake is fed by about 150 small rivers and creeks but only one leaves the lake: the Selenge river. The Selenge flows after 1100km into Lake Baikal, which is nevertheless only 200km air distance away from Khovsgol.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/7693637.jpg

Because of its deep waters and pine forests, Khovsgol is often named the "young brother of Lake Baikal". Its water is cleaner and its shores are unspoiled and not crowded by tourists though.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/7693541.jpg

Perhaps potential tourists are confused by the different spellings: Khovsgol, Hovsgol, Huvsgul, Hubsgul, Hubsugul, Chowsgol, Chöwsgöl - one lake - a 1000 names

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/See.jpg

3000+meters mountains on the northern shore which is not accessible by car

from November to May the icy surface permits transport right across the lake
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/20723055.jpg

in summer this has to be done by ship. In the following pic you see the proud national fleet of Mongolia:
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/8301813.jpg

it consists of one ship. At the Khovsgol lake harbour you find some additional fishing boats, warehouses and even a lighhouse, a quite unfamiliar and very unique place in a landlocked country. Not very surprising, locals consider its waters to be holy because most Mongolian lakes are saltwater lakes
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/2159696.jpg

(all pictures were taken from panoramio)

There's more to Khovsgol Aimag than a lake and its shore. The follwoing pictures were taken in the Ulaan Taiga mountain range in the western part of the aimag not far away from the Russian border

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/khovsgol53-753090.jpg
They are far too small....
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/khovsgol211-707555.jpg
...but since a lot of websites are currently not accessible...
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/khovsgol206-712532.jpg
...it is difficult to find any representative pictures from Khovsgol aimag...
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/khovsgol203-726633.jpg
...anyway...
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/khovsgol202-726691.jpg
...maybe the pictures give you a vague impression...
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/khovsgol201-795458.jpg
...of this remote and beautiful part of the world
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/khovsgol200-795509.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/khovsgol209-725340.jpg
(www.doncroner.com)

the last pics for today...they were taken in the Darkhad depression which surrounded by majestic mountain ranges...the Ulaan Taiga to the West, the Khovsgol range to the east with the lake nearby.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/5390673.jpg
the depression is on the altitude as Khovsgol lake, approximately 1600 metersand and comprises the northernmost reaches of dry steppe in Mongolia
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3748296700_9f61136767_o.jpg
nevertheless the plain supports about 300 lakes and a lot of rivers which come from the mountain ranges
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3747507927_1c29a8f5c3_o.jpg
(panoramio)

actually...almost nobody lives outside the capital city;)

I will show some photos of people, culture and also provincial towns later


thanks ;)

thanks ;)

well no prob, but don't expect too much: the provincial towns are the exact opposite of the surrounding landscape: boring and dead ugly. Interesting to see anyway because imho nobody on this board has ever seen a Mongolian provincial town so far and can imagine how it looks like

Next pics are from Sukhbaatar imag in the south east of the country where almost no tourists go. It is endlessly flat or slightly hilly terrain covered almost completely by monotonous steppe.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3710055642_36bae6e52c_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3712773715_dd13d6f6cf_o.jpg

The area is 82000 square km which equals the size of Ausria or North Carolina. Just 50.000 people live here, thereof 12000 in the "capital" Barrun Urt. Getting there means reaching the end of the world.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/Map_mn_sukhbaatar_aimag.png

In the Dariganga region next to the Chinese border you find some tourist attractions like sand dunes and extinct volcanos. One of them is Shilin Bogd from which the following photos were taken. It is considered to be holy by the local

Evening
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3715956286_b5eda9a84e_o.jpg

Sunrise
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/17980352.jpg

Noon
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/17980486.jpg

This is where the Dariganga ethnic minority lives.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3710055504_4bde520d81_o.jpg

(from flickr and panoramio)

close to 250 views but not a single react? how come?

Next Pictures are from Arkhangai aimag, which is located in the very center of Mongolia.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Map_mn_arkhangai_aimag.png

Area is about 55.ooo square km which equals the size of West Virginia and approximately the Netherlands respectively.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/871453.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/871441.jpg

It is one of Mongolias smalles provinces and with a population of 90.000 one of Mongolias most densely populated (which does not mean a lot).


Arkhangai means "north of the Khangai mountains" which is the 2nd highest mountain range exceeding 4000 meters. Tree line is at about 2500 meters.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3443740.jpg

The well watered northern slopes receives enough rainfall to support some taiga forests.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1545630.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3531890.jpg

Road from aimag capital Tsetserleg to Tekhin Tsagaan Nuur.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1221120.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/453271.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1221135.jpg


On the southern slope you will be very lucky to spot any trees.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/4_big.jpg
(discovermongolia.mn)

These mountain ranges are interrupted by broad steppe valleys.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/13448532.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/12398860.jpg

It has some tourist attractions to offer, the Terkhin Tsagaan Nuur being one of them which translates into Great White Lake.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/5307819.jpg
(discovermongolia.mn)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/7148129.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2381412736_6d3307fcb6_b.jpg
(geu.de)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/4443383.jpg

Nearby you find some extinct volcanoes.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/7148337.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/22426306.jpg

The "1000 year old tree"
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/7148702.jpg

Taikhar rock - rising from the middle of the steppe
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/7148938.jpg
Most of the pics were taken from panoramio, if not marked

so great photos.i download couples for desktop wallpapers.thx and keep it up with great photos.

wow, thanks for the photos. Quite surreal landscapes.

Wow!
Amazing pics!
Viva the grand country of Genghis Kahn!

I love Mongolia's landscape!

I feel refresh just by looking at these pictures. Mongolia's natural landscape is truly stunning..

so wonderful pics

excellent photos

No people?

No people?

Of course there are some and they were all taken from flickr

first of all a historic picture from 1982 taken in the capital Ulaanbaatar
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2330237205_8188a40285_o.jpg

Eagle Hunter in far western Bayan Ulgii aimak - not hunting eagles but hunting animals with eagles as you can tell by the picutre
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1385973360_7868a1bff9_o.jpg

young police woman
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1392127527_9ffda57132_o.jpg

the "one-laptop-per-child" project
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2606362543_1598e7efc0_o.jpg

old nomad
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2707016534_97baf649c6_o.jpg

monks in Ulaanbaatar
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/210181092_8ece386d05_b.jpg

out with the nomads
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3159880372_b3e141c63a_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/316940218_490c681062_o.jpg

school children in Ulgii, a dusty provincial capital in the far west
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3243115688_8f9098c17d_o.jpg

unfortunately not much about the young urban generation from Ulaanbaaatar or other cities, tourists rather want to show the archaic nomad's life

No people?

Hah, 19-th biggest country in the world with less than 3 mln. inhabitants. Nothing strange here.

Great pictures!

Some more pictures from Mongolia

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vfBlzMJFY4c/SowFgs5svjI/AAAAAAAABmU/fK6fXKz6jmI/s640/P3230091.JPG

Northwest Mongolia, Uvs Aimag during winter.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vfBlzMJFY4c/SowFhOuS0kI/AAAAAAAABmY/k3_XGzYR45A/s640/P3250189.JPG

Driving on lake Uvs (ice was 1m thick)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_vfBlzMJFY4c/SowFhU-3XdI/AAAAAAAABmc/9Vd253D0WHg/s640/P3260213.JPG

Ulaangom, Uvs Aimag

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_vfBlzMJFY4c/SowFh92FShI/AAAAAAAABmg/EzTlVDlKCXA/s720/DSC_0326.JPG

Flying into Khovd, western Mongolia

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_vfBlzMJFY4c/SowFiDXpFMI/AAAAAAAABmk/lIPS-2cUiGw/s640/P4270220.JPG

Uvs Aimag looking across to Siberia

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_vfBlzMJFY4c/SowG3cSgC-I/AAAAAAAABms/2bv28vs8Soo/s640/P4280231.JPG

Camel herd in Uvs Aimag, looking across to Siberia

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_vfBlzMJFY4c/SowG5Eo87FI/AAAAAAAABmw/PoTl0EEvpME/s640/P5030093.JPG

Ger being transported at Khuvsgul Lake

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vfBlzMJFY4c/SowG5g0wNcI/AAAAAAAABm0/gJjavBd-g6g/s720/P5040152.JPG

Ulaan Uul, Khuvsgul aimag

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_vfBlzMJFY4c/SowG6GWIjNI/AAAAAAAABm8/eXG431MSkUs/s640/P4270080.JPG

Interesting pics
muito bom ver imagens de lugares tão diferente,ao que se está acostumado a ver
thanks por pics!:)

Interesting pics
muito bom ver imagens de lugares tão diferente,ao que se está acostumado a ver
thanks por pics!:)


yes indeed very interesting...

Your photography from mongolia is just breathe-takenly beautiful. I'm from mongolia myself. Seeing your photos makes me wanna go back to Mongolia and travel the whole Mongolia enjoying the beauty of my beloved country.

Thank you for posting such beautiful pictures!

Regards

Boglegrahgam, thx a lot for your contribution, but uinfortunately I cannot see any of them.
Nevertheless, this thread is certianly open to everyone, so anyone may upload some pictures if you want.
______________________________

after a long break, some more interresting photos from an interesting aimag from my side

Bayan Ulgii aimag is a very special aimag in any respect.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Map_mn_bayan-ulgii_aimag.png

It is the westernmost aimag and besides Dornod the only one which borders Russia and China respectively.

It is roughly as big as the Netherlands and has a population of roughly 100.000 people, 95% of them being non_mongols. 9 out of 10 inhabitants are Kazakhs. Actually Bayan Ulgii is a province which happens to be in Mongolia, as the people living there pray to Allah, eat shish kebab and live in oriental-style looking squat houses.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/DSC00802.jpg
(kulichki.com)
Even the nomadic tents ("gers") differ slightly in their outlook to the Mongolian version.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/mongolia-stevem-attractions.jpg

The aimag is by far the most mountainious of Mongolia. These pictures were taken at the border region to China, Russia and nearby Kazakhstan.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/5738039.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/4144818.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/13088021.jpg

Looking across the border to China. The 4000+ meter Altai range marks the backbone of Bayan Ulgii aimag
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/borderrangeview.jpg
(ac.le.uk)

It is also a region of lakes. The following pics show Khoton lake. The glaciated mountains in the background form the border with China.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/12388888.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/13091021.jpg

not very surprising, the aimag also comprises Mongolias highest mountains the Khuiten Uul in the Tavan Bogd group

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/222946.jpg

the peak is 150 km away from the next village and this might be the reason why nobody seems to know its exact height. Numbers differ from 4374 to 4700 meter, but google earth sticks to the conservative figure

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/19659220.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/229553465_eeb6f29ace_o.jpg

some more pics approaching the mountain

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/altai_lakeenjojmongolianet.jpg
(enjoymongolia.net)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3349679810_3d46e48032_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2136600167_366f8cb075_b.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/643198.jpg

in the "Eagle Valley"
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/6655193-1.jpg

high plains
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3755740131_4d0e46e399_b.jpg

approaching Potanin glacier, which is 19km long and said to be the countrie's longest glacier
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3755741253_b13d1cc721_b.jpg

the peak from the East
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3756536862_ec1df3e969_b.jpg

Potanin glacier
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/14660161.jpg

looking towards China
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/5065936-1.jpg

from the South
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/14204140.jpg

looking down near the summit
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/14559380.jpg

if not marked, all pics taken from panoramio

and finish with some random pictures from Bayan Ulgii aimag

lowlands, almost desert
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3555793451_636dceae3c_b.jpg

lower Altai mountains
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1_big.jpg

this is the only river in the Mongolian Altai region which leads to the Arctic Ocean
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/5613029.jpg

on the Southern slopes facing China the vegetation is more lush
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1576764.jpg

near Tavan Bogd mountains

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/10957571.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/DSC00844.jpg
(kulichki)

on to the next page

...

123

Sundown at Khoton Nuur
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/5637092.jpg

Tolbo Nuur, which translates to "frog lake"
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1649711.jpg

and some more mountain lakes
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/5652904.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/14296737.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2634079.jpg
(kulichki.com)

lower slopes of Tavan Bodg mountain

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/DSC01170.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1132245.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/11418804.jpg

(all panoramio)

some people:

reindeer breeding in Khovsgol aimag near the Russian border
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3747527355_976df0ae53_o.jpg

playing basketball above the treeline
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3748314804_9795dd36d7_o.jpg

and finally because this board is mainly about cities some pictures from the capital Ulaanbaatar

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3259577699_069906861a_b.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3500595285_ac4f281457_b.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3836164751_13a25f7dca_b.jpg
population was starkly increasing within the last decades

1918 30 000 (pop)
1955 118 000
1960 164 000
1970 282 000
1980 435 000
1990 562 000
2000 726 000
2008 1 044 000
www.geu.de

as you can see it became a city of contrasts since the country embraced market reforms in 1990

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3272570373_cba9708be4_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3387268011_9d70875969_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/14424390.jpg

(flickr, panoramio)

some more modern buildings from panoramio and flickr

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/22236543.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/22609401.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/8314131.jpg

actually the city afrchitecture consists of three types of buildings: traditional jurts wit some log cabins for the poorer people.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2971431766_3683667261_o.jpg

And some monasteries. Mongolians are of tibetan-lamaist beleif although some Christian missionaries tried to change this in the recent past. Nearly all monasteries were destroyed and monks killed under the Stalinist cleansing in the 1930s.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3272569773_beaf7c6e92_o.jpg

In relationship to the population, no country in this world suffered more under Stalinism.
Stalinist architecture and some soviet appartment blocks from the era thereafter comprise the 2nd type of architecture.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3260397014_335f328d6d_b.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/17260227.jpg

Construction boom started in about 2000-02 when economic growth picked up. Typical housing complex erected in 2005

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3567268.jpg

Pictures from Outskirts surrounding Ulaanbaatar.

This is Bogd uul (2290 meters), the mountain located just a few kilometers south of Ulaanbaatar.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1098598.jpg

Ulaanbaatar ("UB") has no agglomeration or metro areas. Behind the last house, nature starts and does not end until reaching China. Rolling steppe some 30 km south of the town.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/553913.jpg

Gun Galuut nature reserve east of UB
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/107discovermn.jpg

A "ger camp" for tourists on the road to Mongolia's (and Genghis Khan's) ancient capital Kharkhorin. Gers are noamdic tents which serve well as a cheap tourist accomodation.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/4258786.jpg

North of UB. We are still within the city limits.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3862044486_0d8147f5ae_b.jpg

Hustai Nuruu mountains. This is where the Przewalski horses got resettled, which were already extincted in nature. Only in some Zoos few managed to survive.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3720339052_370100439b_b.jpg

(everything except 3rd pic from 1st post panoramio)

some more updates for this classic notorious none-reacter:)

today's pics are from Uvurkhanghai aimag. It is about double the size of Belgium but like with all other Mongolian aimags, its population is very humble: 110.000 people, mainly "real" Khalkh Mongol. As far as I know in Belgium it's about 10 million people.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Map_mn_uvurkhangai_aimag.png
(wiki)

The aimag is in the middle of the country and can also be regarded to be Mongolia's heartland.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2982153850_0e26c2358c_o.jpg
(flickr)

The province is home of Mongolia's ancient capital Karakorum which once ruled the world for some decades. At a pinch, it had the same function as Rome and Athens had and London and New York had later in the 19th and 20th century. It is proven that beside Buddhist temples and Islam mosques even a church had existed within the city walls.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3329112.jpg
(pano)
Chinese warriors destroyed the capital in the 17th century until the Stalinist stooges did the rest in the 1930s. At least some temples survived.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/4399006.jpg
(pano)

Excavations starting in the 1990s only showed disappointing results
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3674462.jpg

Today Karakorum is a laid back provincial town with perhaps 15.000 inhabitants. There was the strange idea of an obscure nationalist party to make Karakorum become the capital of Mongolia (instead of Ulaanbaatar), quite pointless imo.
Nowaday, Karakroum isn't even the proince's capüitla which Arvaikheer, about 100 km south is
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/20437020.jpg

pretty amazing landscapes

Great pictures! :)

I would like to see some more pictures of the capital, contrasts from old and new, poor and rich.

R-E-A-C-T-S!:shocked: :master:

Thanks to simsplanet and yerfdog

Great pictures! :)

I would like to see some more pictures of the capital, contrasts from old and new, poor and rich.


What about this photo?
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/15152341.jpg

This is also a common sight in UB
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3882521353_a023989d2b_o.jpg

The last picture shows the poor parts of town. After the communist's demise the city's population grew from 400.000 to over 1 million in about 20 years.
The people arriving from the countryside live in nomad's tents, later they erect homes of wood. Most of them start a private business, a small shop ("delguur") or simple repair services. If they succeed the log cabins are later replaced by solid wooden houses

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3888619955_1ae095c885_o.jpg

Anyway, the government currently intends to replace the ger suburbs by modern appartment blocks with central heating and hot water.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2946652941_d90860da1b_b.jpg

These building don't look verz nice or innovative, anyway they serve their function.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3568117.jpg
(flickr and panoramio)

If you have problems with uploading the pictures please press the "refresh" button one or two times, this works much quicker, at leat at my pc.

seom additional pics from Uvurkhangai aimag which also features some major sights of Mongolia besides Karakorum.

The picturesque Orkhon waterfall inside the Orkhon valley which is now UNESCO world cultural heritage.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/12399803.jpg

The Orkhon valley has been home for several nationalities starting with Skyths in the 6 century AD. Later the Turkmens, Uighurs, Kazakhs, Mongols, Chinese and finally the Russians arrived and left some traces. The waterfall itself is about 20 meters high

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2855425.jpg

In the north the province reaches the southern streches of the Khanghai mountains.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/18985738.jpg

In a remote valley which is only reachable by virtually impassable roads you find the "Eight Lakes", Naiman Nuur.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/698754.jpg

The lakes lie at an altitude of about 2400 meters

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/18985645.jpg
(panoramio)

I' ve been there - we did not meet any other tourists in two days, only two nomad families. There is no real infrastructure. But the nomads had a motorcycle and a solar powered roof for being connected to the outside world

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/853823954_937d4a7e10_b.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/859736953_9a0343824f_b.jpg
(flickr)

Nearby, on the way to the valley and its waterfall it is possible to visit Tovkhon Khid, one of the few monasteries which survived the stalinist purges. It regained its function after being restored in the early 1990s

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/207-Monastero_Tovkhon_Khiid.jpg
(www.cailanzo.it)

It was founded by Zanabazar (1635-1723) who brought Tibetan Lamaism to Mongolia. Zanabazar founded a lot of monasteries and published religious literature. He later became Mongolia's first religious leader.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/11-TovkhonKhiid.jpg
(www.illabrinto.com)

The monasteries is locatedhigh above in the mountains at 2550 meters altitude
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/image1236235564.jpg

(www.jangartours.com)

Very nice photos from Mongolia :)

I really like Mongolia, it has so much culture it is just amazing.

Nature in Mongolia is wonderful !!!

Thanks for your comments. Here come some photosw from flickr taken on the Nadaam festival. Nadaam is a nationwide and the most popular event in Mongolia throughout the year.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3885306879_ace3653a46_o.jpg

The whole country comes together to celebrate the best men in archery, horseriding and wrestling. Not football, but these three kinds of sports are the most popular in Mongolia.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3885306473_56869016fd_o.jpg

Nadaam is celebrated in mid July each year.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3759997065_c03cd44e61_o.jpg

While this event has meanwhile become a tourist attraction in Ulaanbaatar, also each province hosts its own small Nadaam practically devoid of tourists.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3887294149_c40ede4290_b.jpg

Some wresters prepare for the fight.
Btw, the horseriding is not inside the stadium but runs along a marked trail through the steppe. Mainly children participate because adults would have too much weight for a horse to win the race.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3888091236_9f4dddf585_b.jpg

in the following posts some updates from Mongolia's three most scenic aimags (provinces), Khovsgol, Arkhangai and Bayan Ulgii. All were introduced on some previous pages


we start with Khovsgol province

Ulaan Taiga mountains, 3000+ meters

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/5555414.jpg

somehow distorted
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/11740279.jpg

near the treeline
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/8568964.jpg

(panoramio)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/8127654.jpg

Khovsgol lake
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3756941173_7b9de9a260_b.jpg

small but beautiful
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/6533362.jpg

(pano)

3ooo views!

Altai mountains, Bayan Ulgii

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/057-1.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/P7137137.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/027.jpg
(flickr)

some more Altai pics, taken from over 2000 meters

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/P7127122.jpg
(panoramio)

approaching the lowlands, the lush green pastures turn into dry desert steppe
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3843272856_a17ddae6af_b.jpg
(flickr)

some more great voutlooks from the westernmost corner of Mongolia, close to the Kazakh, Chinese and Russian border

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3242255885_850d884a34_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/13088056.jpg

next page?:ohno:

very amazing pics thaks

thanks for your comment

...

why does this damn page don't turn?

123

panoramic view at the border of Bayan Ulgii and Hovd aimag

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/14189519.jpg

more from flickr

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3242279545_7c461eb434_o.jpg

Khar Nuur - the Black lake

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3243089360_8cdda7db26_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/12462028.jpg
(panoramio)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/12462083.jpg

very different landscape in Arkhangay province, Central Mongolia

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/14563719.jpg

Northern slopes of Khangay mountains
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3005900.jpg


"improved road"
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/11551921.jpg

and now soemthing completely different: some provincial towns. I bet nobody ever heard about one of them.

It's a pleasure to introduce you to this because these rural cities, really look...strange, better said: improvised, ramshackle, altohugh in recent years contsruction also started here and infrastructures as well as services improved.

But with 2 or 3 exceptions all these places, were founded by the Russians to facilitate the administration of this huge and empty country. These towns were soemthing absolutely strange to the locals, but they sooned realized the benefits of central heating and hot water
When the Russians left in 1990, the Mongolians got on the backs of their horses and rode back to their relatives living in the steppe.

Tsetserleg is one rather positive example of a provincial town. 17.000 people suffice to call it a provincial capital.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/7148992.jpg
The Arkhangay aimag capital is about 500 km west of Ulaanbaatar and is home of an agricultural college and some food processing factories
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/4427263.jpg
With its treelined streets, it is one of the nicer rural towns and serves as a stopover for tourists en route. Some reasonable hotels and a lovely temple overlooking the town add to the scenery.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/4427192.jpg

I'll give an update later to this.

Dalanzadgad may become Mongolia's next big thing, as it is Umnugovis capital. Beneath Omnogovi's soil, the world's biggest copper and coal reserves are now ready for exploitation.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Dalanzadbag.jpg
(wikipedia)
Up to now, it is a sleepy outpost with a population of 12.000 in the middle of Gobi desert with the Gobi Altai mountains in the back. It's urban chique is based on pure luxury like hotels with reliable hot water supply and an internet cafe.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/13521917.jpg
A normal shop in Dalanzadgad. On the opposite road, currently a brandnew provincial government building is constructed, underlining the relative wealth of this town.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/7371175.jpg
A newly built hotel. Torurism is becoming increasingly important in the Gobi region and Dalanzadgad with its modernized airport now even gets flights from China. A steep gorge covered by a glacier in summer, some spectacular cliffs, gorgeous sand dunes (shown on the very first page of this thread) and excavation sites of dinosaurs make up the main attractions in this region.
(panoramio, if not mentioned otherwise)

better pics from Tsesterleg which means "flower garden" by the way

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2304565.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/4885471.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/20425410.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/7371175.jpg
A newly built hotel.

Acutually it was newly constructed but underwent a restoration . Thsi is how it looked before (Notice the ramshackle camel statue to the right)
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/7978412.jpg

crazy pics Rinchinlhumbe great job

thanks, Gabo. Are you somehow related to Mongolia or just interested?

Time to introduce another aimag: Bulgan aimag.,

Measuring roughly the size of the Netherlands (48.000 square kilometres) it is one of the smaller aimags, with 62.000 people calling it a home Bordering Russia in the North it has a certain Siberian appeal as its neighbour Khovsgol has.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Map_mn_bulgan_aimag.png

The province is a mixture of Taiga forest and 2000+ meter mountains in the north, called Bulgan Taiga...

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/8689342.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/047.jpg

and dry steppe in the extreme south. This is Ogii lake near the border and near Karakorum, the ancient Mongolian capitla which once ruled the world. The lake itself is a paradise for birdwatching
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3892022925_55e29e569f_b.jpg

The aimag´s center is divided by mighty Selenge and Orkhon rivers, which Mongolias largest rivers. Selenge is a tributary to Lake Baikal.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/selenge.jpg

Most of the arable land is found in the relatively fertile aimag.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/6453920.jpg

Hilly landscape characterize large parts of the province

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/355worldisround.jpg
(www.worldisround.com)

Better photo, worse weather. These mountains are called Shine Ider
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2660048.jpg

Ramshackla bridge, a beloved setting for tourists to take some pictures. Actually a modern concrete bridge is just a few kilometers away...

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3901319248_1cbd638fa5_b.jpg

Stopover on the road
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/4258707-1.jpg

Going down...
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3497493226_e1a7092e4d_b.jpg

The epitomous aimag capital has 13.000 inhabitants. These aimag capitals look so remote, but meanwhile you can change your traveller cheques and foreign currencyhere , surf with wireless lan on the internet, pay by mastercard or Visa and buy "exotic" food like pineapples and red wine. Tourists often stop in these small towns to stock up their rations before heading on into the empty steppe.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1323257556_d871f565cc_b.jpg
(flickr)
Bulgan is about 350 km northwest of Ulaanbaatar and was linked with the Mongolian capital by a paved road in 2007. It is devoid of jurts and with its log cabins it has more common with Siberia than Mongolia

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/7138197-1.jpg
(panoriamio)
Just a few kilometers outside town the road runs through a landscape like this

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/814541.jpg
(panoramio)

some random photos
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/12167760.jpg

Bulgan "city" with some Taxis
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2-horse-town.jpg

Forest steppe
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1322366685_6616cf55c7_b.jpg

oh man i love this thread.. it makes me wanna go to mongolia even more!!!! :cheers:

Thank you. Travelling is quite demanding in this huge and empty country and you need a stomach of steel. But if you consider this, you can have the time of your life.

Lets finish Bulgan aimag with some nice scenery...
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3023311052_1da6d69939_o.jpg

...and a little surprise. This is no rock formation but a city wall.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/22859289.jpg

Khar Balgas (the Black City) was the first Uighur capital in the 7th century AD. So it is not correct to say that Mongolian history started with Genghis Khan in the 12th century. 500 years earlier, Turkish ancestors built some cities across the steppe and traded goods with Siberian and Chinese salesmen. The ruins are located on the southern dry border of the aimag. Recently the Turkish government has decided to construct a road to those ruins. Imo, the money can be spent for better purpose.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/67063668l7UgpD46.jpg

The ruins still show some architecture like archways and temples, altohugh Angkor Vat and Machu Picchu might be more spectacular.

Next aimag is Dundgov aimag. The story is quickly told because Dundgov consists of flat steppe turning into desert further south and little else. . A lot of the aimag looks like a gigantic football ground, but you would not want to be the guy to do the corner kick in this match...
Dundgov means "middle Gobi", but North Gobi would be a more appropriate translation. Ulaanbaatar is only 200 km north. Btw, Gobi does not mean "desert" but "place too dry for marmots" in Mongolian.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Map_mn_dundgobi_aimag.png
The aimag is almost as big as Austria. About 48.000 people live within its limits (cute!), from thereof one quarter in the aimag center Mandalgobi.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/21723286.jpg
(panoramio)
The aimag serves as a stopover from Ulaanbaatar to the South Gobi with its tourist battractions and better infrastructure. In Dundgov, bizarre rock formations, more ruins and some temples like this pictured below are among the major sights.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/22586968.jpg

the most interesting rock formation might be Bagar Gazrin Chuluu which is shown in the following pictures

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2662627743_4ce525fdcc_b.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/171000723_eb5cf12d0e_o.jpg
(flickr)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/2377700660_98bef34146_o.jpg
(geu.de)

Moon or Mongolia?
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1386171314_5d5f03e847_b.jpg

Typical vista on the edge of the Gobi
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/25078537.jpg
(flickr)
Travelling is a real adventure in this part of the world
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Baga_gazriin_chuluu_canyon_road.jpg

On it goes. The next aimag is Gobi Altai aimag in the sowuth west of the country. With 143.000 sqkm it has roughly the same size as Iowa/Illionois or Greece and is the entire country's second biggest.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Map_mn_gobi-altai_aimag.png

Would you believe it or not? Just 60.000 people live in this vast territory and if you come there, it is easy to know why mankind does not want to live there.
Harsh and icy winds blow across the bleak desert plains during most time of the year.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/eejuul03-789654.jpg
(panoramio)


There is a certain beauty in this hostile environment though. The Altai mountain range bisects the aimag to a Northern and Southern part.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/gov-altai_024-747985.jpg
(doncroner.com)

The southern stretch of the aimag is completely empty - no streets, no building no people, no plants and of course no rain

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/gov-altai30-746706.jpg
(doncroner.com)

It is a "strictly protected area", which even intrepid travellers do not enter.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3316003940_c9452047fe_b.jpg

When you travel eastwards, the Altai range slowly looses height, as the landscape gets more rocky and drier. Trees barely survive in this environment, and some mountains seem to be sinking in the debris surrounding

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/7302373.jpg
(ac.le.uk)

You'll be lucky to spot any human being...
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3935617845_4a7337f104_b.jpg

Camels and other animals dominate the scenery
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3910610378_0539618bca_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/13517417.jpg

Gobi Altai aimag is also home to the Gobi Bear, the only brown bear which manages to survive outside the woods. Meanwhile threatened with exstinction, only about 50 bears survive.

Roads...

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/13370817.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/14796976.jpg

Stopover near a lake at 2600 meters.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/14797066.jpg
(all panoramio)

Huh? What's that?

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/17366006.jpg

Some buildings. Altai City is the aimag's capital, it's population is about 14.000, but the nightlife is not as vibrant as in New York City.

But it has a nice temple.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/17365906.jpg

Nearby, the newly erected Taishir reservoir supplies energy to the whole Western Mongolian territory. Before, the region relied on Russiasn imports. But if these could not supply or the Mongolians couldn't pay the Western part of the country remained dark.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/17366235.jpg
(all panoramio)

Some mountain scenery

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/tibet.jpg

Salt Lake

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/5782681.jpg

3000 meter plain with some glaciated mountains on the horizon.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/11674290.jpg
(panoramio)

Altai mountains
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/AS25_ANA0040_M.jpg

Approaching the pass from the valley
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/13516742.jpg

Reaching the summit
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/mountainpass.jpg
(panoramio)

no many trees around

not even one on the whole page. But if you look on the previous pages, there is a lot

BTW I like it ;)

Incredible country! Breathtaking landscapes and beautifull people! I have some mongolian blood in my venes and I always wanted to see Mongolia, travel there... Live a life of a nooker )

I just can't believe what those chineese and soviet vandals did to Kharakorum - the glorious capital of Chingiz Khan, who rulled the great empire of the past...
His grandson Batu Khan reached the shores of the mediterranean sea, he took over Kiev in 1240. Not so many people know much about mongolia in a modern world, unfortunately!

an amazingly beautiful country

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/539520.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3756939971_37a7e69c33_b.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/3795572.jpg

^^ A beautiful country indeed.

4000 views

I knew Mongolia was beautiful, but after seeing this pictures, i'm just overwhelmed! I really like to go there someday!

Rinchinlhumbe, you are doing really great job! Keep on posting.
May i ask for a translation of what is written on the boards in this picture:

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/17366235.jpg


Not so many people know much about mongolia in a modern world, unfortunately!
True.

Rinchinlhumbe, you are doing really great job! Keep on posting.
May i ask for a translation of what is written on the boards in this picture:

Of course you may ask, the only problem is: I cannot answer. I can read some cyrillic but I only know little Mongolian. First red-lettered roughly says something like "Tavkhan reservoir supplies energy to all of you". The 2nd? No clue about that.



True.

Very true. In western people's minds reduced to a romantic, but stifling poor and backward nomad's nation. Maybe that's because of a settled peoples' primal fear against the destruction, the barbaric wild hordes of Genghis Khan caused.

but okay, from some history lessons back to topic.

It's a shame that Zavkhan province wasn't mentioned so far, because for travellers it is surely one of Mongolia's highlights
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/Map_mn_zavkhan_aimag.png
With an area of 82.000 km its expanse can be compared to Austria.
Although´diverse in culture, people and scenery it is one of the least visited aimags. Reason for this it its difficult accessibility. To get here involves some effort, namely a tough 2-3 days bus ride over high mountain passes and bumpy roads.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/3897820453_ba23708906_b.jpg
(zavkhan.com)

The ones who come here are rewarded with spectacular - and fastly changing scenery. You may be travelling through a lush mountaineous landscape with taiga forests and half an hour later you find yourself in a barren "Lawrence-of-Arabia" like desert.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/2839734.jpg
(panoramio)

The Eastern part of the aimag comprise the mighty Khangay mountains which reach a maximum altitude of 4021 meters.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/1132491.jpg

The Western part is a dry depression which some salt lakes. No river in this province reaches the sea.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/2382816426_bf8c8f6dfb_b.jpg
(panoramio)

Where both worlds meet, you find sand dunes next to patches of forest.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/2376860743_c3fb690342_o.jpg
(geu.de)

About 75000 people inhabit this province which has the same size of Austria (Austria: 8 million people). Due to its remoteness it is one of Mongolia's poorest provinces.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/zavkhan04-718628.jpg
(doncroner.com)

In communist times, population rose up to 110.000, but when the economy collapsed in 1990, many left for a better future in Ulaanbaatar.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/scan23642.jpg


http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/m14_00000008.jpg

Whereas some small villages are gradually becoming ghost towns, at least the two aimag towns managed to keep pace with the economic development.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/12395339.jpg
Uliastay is a small remote town of 20,000 inhabitants but is one of the few historic. People living here, seem to be used to being settled and have a certain relationship with their town.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/2659967.jpg
(both panoramio)

But as with all Mongolian cities, there is little which is old and glorious about the place. At least the surroundings might be a reason to come here. Desert sand dunes and forested mountains are only some few kilometers away.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/2376863667_bf333ab588_o.jpg
(geu.de)

Tosentsengel is the 2nd city and economically more important than Uliastay. Mongolias timber industry is located here. But actually the city is renowned for its extreme temperatures in winter. Minus 53 degrees were recorded.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/Tosontsengel2.jpg

these dunes are called Moltzog Els
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/2376860911_590d87b80c_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/2377699312_940e281b90_o.jpg
(geu.de)

leaving the dunes,
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/21332623.jpg

...heading towards the high mountains
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/2376860307_1d0c442d91_o.jpg

through some picturesce valley
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/1618320-Mongolian-Sunset-0.jpg
(zavkhan.com.uk)

near Tosontsengel
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/13448581.jpg

in the Khangai mountains
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/4130673.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/391469.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/20826921.jpg
(panoramio)

Tourism: mainly trekking, mountaineering and horseriding
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/630.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/MNULNEAZavkhan_where_is_the_traill.jpg
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/MNULNEAZavkhan_riding_in_purple_fir.jpg

lookout from Otgon Tenger mountain (4021 meters)
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/11076021.jpg

and the other way around. Lookout from Khokh Nuur (Blue lake) to Otgon Tenger

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/2660296.jpg

further north
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/13742991.jpg

lookout from a pass
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/zavkhan/3925121436_edbae714ac_o.jpg
(zavkhan.com.uk)

it is simply a magic place to let fly the soul!

oh, yes it is

before we continue with some scenery, a few random pics from ulaanbaatar (all taken from panoramio)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/3861913246_f1051cfe2a_b.jpg
Beatles monument. It replaced a Lenin scultpure.

Avantgarde architecture: some Dixie toilets. First take a look at the neat, modern architecture. Then take note of the crumbling stairway to the left which is still in use.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/25129564.jpg

UB needs some colours!
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/3861913704_e6a3b41ece_b.jpg

Traffic (this one's from flickr)
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/3874858208_ee9042790e_b.jpg

wtf?
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/3874923276_45f0529ca3_b.jpg

view from city center
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/558439856_4f7ef118be_o.jpg

ger district
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/940798.jpg

Soviet realism
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/4419406.jpg

another ancient relic: UB observatory
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/1096878.jpg

rich people own a datcha in the woods near the city
suburban housing
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/2075859.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/2075935.jpg

some more photos from Ulaanbaatar's unknown past will be put up later today. Stay tuned.

Ulaanbaatar nightlife

UB Palace
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/1282081-Nightlife-Ulaanbaatar.jpg

Dublin Irish Pub
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/4234186-Nightlife-Ulaanbaatar.jpg

Face Club
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3357295-Nightlife-Ulaanbaatar.jpg

(virtualtourist.com)

some rave
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/3357297-Nightlife-Ulaanbaatar.jpg
(virtualtourist.com)

on to the next page

...

abc

some pictures from old and modern Ulaanbaatar combined...very interesting imo. Comments and questions appreciated.

late 1930s
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/24863513.jpg
Sukhbaatar square, looking north. The Soviets have just resumed their power. The strange yurt-like was later replaced by the Stalinist-style government office. So far only little has been done by the Soviets. Take notice at the one-storey building on the extreme right.

1994
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/7304838.jpg
The Soviets are already gone again but you still see their heritage at every inch of the city. The square is now dominated by the grey and huge government's office. A sukhbaatar statue (the horserider in the center) and a mausoleum has been added. The white-golden building to the right is the Cultural palace which was finished in 1989, underlining, that not every building from the Communist era looks drab.
The one-storey building already mentioned from the first picture is the only one still existing.
Everything looks a bit depressing and empty. Owning private cars was prohibited during communist times, so only 200 cars were on the road in the whole town when the Communists were driven out of the government in 1990. Moreover, in the early 90s Mongolias faced a severe economic crisis with supply shortages in food, energy, and heating. A little glimpse of North Korea...

2008
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/21506088.jpg
For the 800th anniversary of the Mongol empire in 2006 the government office received a facelift. The square was paved, new highrises popped up along the square. The oversized square was used for military parades in Stalinist times, nowadays it functions as a festival area and theater stage ins usmmer and as a Christmas market or ice rink in winter...

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/18566736.jpg
Same time. As you can tell by this picture, the old historic building shown in the first picture was just torn down in order to be replaced by a skyscraper. Not a very good idea...

Sukhbaatar square looking south

1974

Richard Nixon resigned and Germany was world football champion again, but I think nobody in isolated Mongolia heard much about that. A military parade of the straght hardline communist government.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/1366083.jpg

1999
Some motorcyclists who probably started in London or Berlin have just arrived in UB. The country has opened up to the outside world. The southern edge of the square has no high buildings at all.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/4698568-1.jpg

2008
From a slightly different angle. The horse rider statue is just right to the photogarpher
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/3693520126_9e509a3b52_o.jpg

State Department Store

1996
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/2146854.jpg

2008
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/4144997.jpg

all pics from google earth/panoramio

around the Theatre

1994, looking northwest
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/7304738.jpg

2005, looking west (theatre on the far left)
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/4145060.jpg

2009, looking south
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/3962662350_2da76772d8_b.jpg

looking north to Central Post office

1994
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/7304728.jpg

2009
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/3667229759_8897c81685_b.jpg

further north
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/19423107.jpg

looking to Gandan monastery 1988.
Everything is in its right place.
A lot of the jurts shown on the picture have now been replaced by solid buildings made of wood or stone.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/9715875.jpg

2007
not the same angle, but same street. Chaos and capitalism have invaded zthe country.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/4415175.jpg

(panoramio)

Comments and questions appreciated.
Cool pics. I'd like to see more Buddhist and Yurt-inspired architecture.

ok, let's take a look at some Buddhist inspired architecture.
One nice example can be found approx. 200 km north of Ulaanbaatar in Selenge aimag:
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/Map_mn_selenge_aimag.png

One major sight of Selenge aimag is Amarbarjasgalant monastery.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/4455775.jpg

Can you spell it? It name is derived from 2 boys named Ama and Bayar. When the explaratory group saw two boys playing in a scenic valley, they decided to found the monastery at this location. This was in 1732
Unusual given its location, the overall style is Chinese, despite some Mongol and Tibetan influence.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/781711.jpg

It was one of three monasteries nationwide which survived the Stalinist purges. In the 1990s it was completely restored and put to its original function again. But even today with 60 monks accomodating it only gives a dim impression of its former glory, when over 1000 monks lived in the buildings attached.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/4842180.jpg

some more pics from the monastery

Duststorm approaching
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/2660852.jpg

Interior
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/3647202.jpg

Nowadays the monastery has also become a tourist attraction with a small hotel adjacent
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/19245744.jpg
(all panoramio)

Selenge aimag is named after the epitomous river which bisects the aimag into a eastern and western part.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/6226317.jpg

With only 41.200 sqkm it is as big as the Netherlands and one of Mongolias smallest aimags.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/884590.jpg

2.3 people in average per sqkm elbow their way through the squeeze. This means, Selenge aimag is Mongolias densely populated, which does not really mean a lot (population density can be compared to Montana, Wyoming or Iceland)

Total population is close to 100.000. It encompasses the industrial town of Darkhan which has an additional 90.000 people to offer - Mongolias 2nd biggest town.
Better be not surprised if you meet more than one car per hour on the road - you are in Mongolia's Bangladesh!
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/9648103.jpg

The reason is clear: it is one of Mongolia's most fertile regions, with a lowlying altitude which results into moderately cold winters.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/18822302.jpg

With its wheat fields, parts of the aimag remind visitors of North Dakota, the Ukraine or even Germany
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/13796559.jpg

During communist times, high investment in agriculture helped the country not only to feed its citizen but even to export its crops to Siberia. Given the harsh climate a real sensation. Due to lack of capital, in the 1990s the whole agriculture business nearly collapsed as wheat harvest output shrank to 10% of its original amount (=15% of the nationwide demand). In the last three years the government launched the so calledx "Green Revolution". This year only 25% of the demand needed is imported from abroad, next yeat the country wants to reach self-sufficency again.
But this ambitious goal is always in danger if you take into account the extreme climate with draughts and frost even in summer.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/18822092.jpg

Nevertheless, this province is one of Mongolia's wealthiest, with a comparably good transport infrastructure. Paved roads link the major industrial centers, the Transsiberian railway runs through the aimag. Sukhbaatar is a busy and - of course- ugly bordertown. Russia is only a stonethrow away.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/23766121.jpg

If you cross the aimag by train you will sport some rather boring scenery with wheat fields, some rivers, villages and farms.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/5604503.jpg

You have to travel a while until you enter some more interesting terrain.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/620012.jpg

Additional geographic features of Selenge aimag are forested mountain ranges to the west...
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/3773837.jpg

..the mighty Sayan mountains with over 2000 meter peaks
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/3772926.jpg

at the Russian border
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/4756191.jpg

and the Khentii mountains to the east...
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/619952.jpg

as remote and untouched by humans
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/16643484.jpg

as the Sayan mountains further west
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/20497211.jpg

Selenge river
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/Selenge/14042809.jpg

next page?

less scenery, more people and culture

ger (nomad's dwelling)

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3537143955_6af1546696_o.jpg

ger's interior
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/10136346.jpg

...

abc

20 posts per page, are you nuts?

21....

some more yurts

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3925728469_6cbe3e0896_b.jpg

still about half of the country's population lives in these dwellings which symbolize Mongolia's nomadic culture best. This share again splits up 50/50 into people living in rural regions and into those living in suburb districts. In the cities, ger dwellers represent the marginalized lower class

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3961881257_c44a4b05ee_b.jpg
some of these nomad dwellers have become rich in recent years, especially in regions where there is enough grass to support cashmere sheep. Motorcycles, solar roofs for TV sets and even playstations inside the ger have become a common sight in rural Mongolia.

horserider with "Orgoo" to catch his horses (sort of lasso)
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3996639773_29a2ebca93_b.jpg

reindeer breeders in Khovsgol aimag
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3747527355_976df0ae53_o.jpg

nomads moving around

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3569088861_b17556797e_o.jpg

an "ail"
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3448402.jpg

Eagler hunter hunting with trained eagles hunting animals in Bayan Ulgii aimag
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3243261156_b9a44c49fb_b.jpg

Eagle hunting festival
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3243292396_96c646416b_b.jpg

rural Naadam festival
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3777419161_12120588b3_o.jpg

wrestlers
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3777420827_a6d258de11_o.jpg

wresting
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3777421031_a367b065c2_o.jpg

horseriding
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3778221310_689ba794e4_o.jpg

and archery are the three contests at the nationwide nadaam festival

recently restored Ongii monastery in Bayankhongor aimag
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3761626636_d14e710787_b.jpg

giant 26-m Buddha statue in Gandan monastery, Ulaanbaatar
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3989220273_bd2f86de96_o.jpg

but even higher: Genghis Khan

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/random/3997012952_f8010d2c25_b.jpg

(this one's from panoramio, rest flickr)

A short look on Orkhon aimag which actually consists of Erdenet municipality and surroundings

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/Map_mn_orkhon_aimag.png

With a size of it is Mongolia's smallest aimag and with 90.000 inhaibtants one of the most densely inhabited.
Erdenet is Mongolia's third largest city and with a fast growing population it will soon assume the second position.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/20258426.jpg

Regarding wealthiness it can even easily compete with Ulaanbaatar. Erdenet came to existence thanks to its copper reserves which were discovered 200 years ago from local nomads. But industrial exploration on a large scale did not start until 1974. Three years later the Transsiberian railway was extended to Erdenet.
For long time, given its worldwide 8th largest copper mine, Erdenet represented the economic backbone of Mongolia, as it earned 70% of the countrie's hard currency income. When copper prices fell in the 1990s, the whole Mongolian economy took a dive.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/3245526.jpg

More bizarre photos from a boring town.

The city is settled peacefully within the lovely typical forest steppe landscape. The huge copper mine always remains in sight.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/23704824.jpg

The main street. The city's architecture consists mainly of drab soviet appartment blocks and some new buildings which popped up around the city center.
These buildings may look ugly but they offer hot water supply and central heating to nomads.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/12180144.jpg

The infrastructure offers a big department store, internet cafes, middle class hotels, Asian, Russian, European and of course Mongolian restuarants.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/12180162.jpg

The town even has a Olympic indoor to offer (do they really want to host the Olympic Games?), which is located in the sports palace pictures below:

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/16701212.jpg

And for the Winter Olympic Games it boasts a downhill skiiing area consisting of one T-bar lift and three trails.

Some more and completely different Western influence: a Mormon church, meanwhile a common sight in Mongolia.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/10552987.jpg

Communist memorial site on the hill top.
The former Russian presence is still visible in the city as you rather find piroshki than buuds on the restaurants' menues.
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/3245172.jpg

Random photos

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/23345891.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/23345938.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/23346020.jpg

Hello...
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/5292683.jpg

Good-bye!
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/orkhon/5292700.jpg


(panoramio)

Stunning pictures.

Do you live in Mongolia?

wow, awesome :)

Fantastic Country

Rinchinlhumbe Are you from that city of mongolia?

I read the thread from start to finish and I just wanted say "thank you"... Mongolia is spectacular, I've always been fascinated by the country

thanks for your comments
no, I am not from Rinchinlhgumbe
I am not Mongolian but I used to live in MNG for three months some time ago

some random photos

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/misc/3864850411_0b949b9561_b-1.jpg

steppe plains
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/misc/10463368-1.jpg

and even a small town on the right side of the mountain range
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/misc/3910051274_9c5c93d441_o-1.jpg

next page?

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/misc/3929346519_4197dee26b_b-1.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/misc/3929351663_e2f7efb153_b-1.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/misc/3893926658_66249c306a_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/misc/3893921350_9d17eb962f_o.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/misc/3896786420_990b78615f_b.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/misc/3903259808_1087826aa5_o.jpg

7ooo views:banana:^^:lol::):righton::master:

Pictures from Khovd aimag which was already introduced at p. 3

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/13371845.jpg

these pictures show some lowlands near the Chinese borders

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/13371903.jpg

in August 2008, these parts of the aimag received an unusual influx of visitors as the sun was eclipsed by the moon for 3 minutes

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/13881670.jpg
(panoramio)

the Altai mountain range runs through the aimag

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/3760696865_6577eacb65_b.jpg

rising up to 4362 meters: Munkh Khairkhan mountain
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/cc_photos_167_47127b4a.jpg

in the distance
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/1618396-Altai-Sunset-0.jpg
(flickr, panoramio)

Sayr Uul mountain (3900 meters)
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/67062334H0QLGrRo.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/490-Ritorno_a_Kvod.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/picture39.jpg

some more animals in front of some more glaciated mountains
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/67062328U4KT3DVZ.jpg

on the road, except some 30km of roads all roads in the aimag are simple earth tracks
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/3825665125_4c2c2515c5_o.jpg

was this one already posted on a previous page...? anyway,, here it is again: Tsambagarav Uul on the border to Bayan Ulgii aimag
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/7515184.jpg

and finally some mountain scenery
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/hovd/3896767722_097e5c932e_b.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/7152305.jpg

a >3000 meter pass
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/temp/1195646.jpg
(mixture of panoramio, doconer.net and agshin.mn)

time for some uploads again

and now something totally different from Mongolia

four weeks ago Mongolia's first ever ski resort has opened near Ulaanbaatar.

The Sky Resort is located on the northern slopes of Bogd Khan mountain and comprises 2-chair lifts and 5 t-bar lifts
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/333882_pic_970x641.jpg

The slopes are located between 1300 and 1600 meters altitude and include all amenities from lighting, ski school, ski rental, safety patrol, daily preparation of slopes, etc
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/333884_pic_970x641.jpg

For more information check out http://skyresort.mn/

some more pics from Mongolia's crazy capital

construction cranes shape UB's skyline
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/3011991347_e46602e0ab_b.jpg

currently the activity takes a short. Economic growth will shrink to 2 percent this year after 8% in 2008. Output is to grow at a pace of 8% again next year.

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/3961137429_c418cfa596_o.jpg

turning from a grey Soviet backwater to a pink punkrocking Disneyland

Blue Sky Tower, Mongolia's currently highest building (110 meter)
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/3653786772_f9d5fdf59b_b.jpg

next page....

one

two

three

four

five

six

Shangri La building...


http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/4004431489_9c4a6e188a_b.jpg

Louis Vitton promotion at Sukhbaatar square

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/4105144896_615f9d3fa3_b.jpg

Memorial museum about the victims of the Stalinist stooges. This building, erected in 1924, is one of the oldest in young Ulaanbaatar

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/4192134910_c136a27f48_o.jpg

Buddha vs. new estate
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/ub/4030911897_8742a7cf31_o.jpg


up to here all new contributions are from flickr. Check the "Ulaanbaatar - urban Mongolia" group

scenery of the northernmost Khuvsgul aimag
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/b%20o/huvsgul/15199104.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/b%20o/huvsgul/15199134.jpg

from here on, all pictures were taken from panoramio

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/b%20o/huvsgul/10922400.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/b%20o/huvsgul/20884828.jpg

Mosque in Bayan Ulgii aimag. 90% of this province population are Muslim
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/b%20o/3869024115_ce1149acf1_b.jpg
(flickr)

Altai mountains, near the Russian border
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/b%20o/3997757258_94237b77d6_b.jpg

Alexandr peak, named after a Russian mountaineer. Mongolians call it "snow church mountain".
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/b%20o/s_001.jpg

near the location, where China, Mongolia and Russia meet. It's not Mongolia's highest spot, though
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww63/OrangeUtan/b%20o/s_004.jpg