Geography

The city of Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, stands at 1,351 meters altitude. It sits between the banks of the Selbe, Tuul, and Uliastai rivers, in the southwestern part of the Khentii mountain range. The city stretches roughly thirty kilometers east to west and fifteen kilometers north to south. Ulaanbaatar is surrounded by four sacred peaks: Bogd Khan Uul, Chingeltei Uul, Bayanzurkh Uul, and Songino Khairkhan. The city was established in this region because of the Bogd Khan peak, south of the city, the most sacred of all.

Ulaanbaatar Today

Mongolia's capital is home to approximately 1.3 million inhabitants (45% of Mongolia's total population). Ulaanbaatar is a modern city, blending Soviet architecture with contemporary construction. It serves as the country's economic, scientific, political, and cultural hub. Roughly 55% of Gross National Product (GNP) comes from nearly 30,000 enterprises, with 70% in the tertiary sector, 29% in the secondary sector, and 1% in agriculture.

You'll also find cultural venues such as the national circus, dramatic arts theater, and opera and ballet academy. To learn about Mongolia's wildlife, flora, history, traditions, and customs, rare and precious artifacts are displayed in several Ulaanbaatar museums, including the National History Museum, Natural History Museum, and Dinosaur Museum.

Downtown is easily explored on foot. The city centers around Genghis Khan Square (formerly Sukhbaatar Square), where a statue of the revolutionary hero Sukhbaatar stands, and since 2006, a colossal statue of Genghis Khan.

The city is divided into nine districts, each containing numerous sub-districts. Mongolians rarely use the Western system of street names and numbers, so finding an address can prove challenging.

The City's History

Ulaanbaatar's history is deeply tied to Mongolia's political life from the 17th century onward. Mongolia then feared the Manchu dynasty, then expanding rapidly, which threatened to invade the territories of the Khalkhas in the north.

To advance Mongolia's centralization policy, Tusheet Khan Gombodorj, the most influential khan among the three Khalka khans, appointed his son Zanabazar as Mongolia's religious leader to promote Buddhism throughout the country. Zanabazar was proclaimed head of state by the assembly of khans and noyods (lords) held at Tsagaan Nuur in 1639. The Khalka khans prepared headquarters for Zanabazar and assigned their subjects as disciples and apprentices. These headquarters were located on the site of the future Örgöö, which later became Ulaanbaatar.

Construction began in 1654 and was completed in 1680. The city had several names throughout its history. It was called Ikh Khuree, "the great encampment," and then Örgöö, from the Mongolian word örgöö, meaning "the palace." Mongolia fell under Manchu rule during the 18th and 19th centuries. The city then housed 50,000 inhabitants and was an important commercial, religious, and administrative center.

Manchu rule ended in 1911, which greatly affected the city's development. It was renamed Nislel Khuree and designated the country's capital by decree of the khans, as the government and palace of the Bogd Khan, now political leader, were located in this city.

In 1923, following the popular revolution and in honor of its hero, Sukhbaatar, the city changed its name once again to Ulaanbaatar, "the red hero."