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Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator)

Museums in Ulaanbaatar

The History of Ulaanbaatar

After the collapse of the mongolian empire in the 17th century, a nomadic settlement was established, which the Lama Zanabazar. gave the name Urga. This "mobile capital" consisted of a collection of transportable Gers, and regularly moved from place to place. Its final location was only decided on in 1778. The settlement had several names over time. In 1924 it was finally renamed to Ulaanbaatar, which translates to "red hero". This name honors the Sukhbaatar, the hero of the revolution of 1921. Outside of Mongolia, the russion spelling "Ulan Bator" is also very common.

General Information

Ulaanbaatar is located in the Khan mountains next to the Tuul river. The city is divided into 6 districts. The central Sukhbaatar district holds most public institutions and the lage Sukhbaatar square. Officially there are about 600'000 inhabitants, in reality there may be quite a few more. Large parts of th suburbs consist of Ger settlements, which form a surprising contrast to the modern buildings of the center. Urban and rural lifestyles also form strong contrasts in many other ways here, be it in clothing habits, or in encounters between herd animals and motor vehicles.

The capital is the starting point for nearly every trip to mongolia. It is the only destination for international flights, and the transmongolian railroad (a side line of the transsiberian railroad ending in China) has its most important station here.