Architecture of Mongolia

The architecture of Mongolia is largely based on traditional dwellings, such as the yurt (Mongolian: гэр, ger) and the tent. These portable homes have been used for centuries by nomadic people, allowing them to move easily across the vast Mongolian steppe. The yurt’s round shape and efficient design make it perfect for the harsh climate, keeping families warm in winter and cool in summer.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, lamaseries were built throughout the country as temples. These temples were later expanded to hold more worshipers. Mongolian architects designed their temples with six and twelve angles and pyramidal roofs that looked like the yurt’s round shape. As temples grew bigger, they took on a square shape, with roofs shaped like pole marquees.

Mongolian artist and art historian N. Chultem studied traditional Mongolian architecture and found three main styles: Mongolian, Tibetan, and Chinese, often mixed together. Famous examples include Batu-Tsagaan (1654), designed by Zanabazar, and the Dashchoilin Khiid monastery in Ulaanbaatar. Other temples reflect Tibetan or Chinese styles, such as the Lavrin Temple and the Choijin Lama Süm temple (1904), now a museum. The Tsogchin Temple in Ulaanbaatar’s Gandan monastery blends Mongolian and Chinese traditions. Indian influences are also seen in Mongolian architecture, especially in the design of Buddhist stupas.

Ancient period

The Xiongnu confederation, which ruled present-day Mongolia from the third century BCE through the first century CE, lived in portable, round tents on carts and round yurts. Their leaders lived in small palaces, and their villages were protected by huge walls. Powerful states developed by Turkic tribes from the sixth through ninth centuries, with several cities and towns in the Orkhon, Tuul, and Selenga River valleys. The main city of the Turkic Khaganate was Balyklyk, and the Uyghur Khaganate centred on the city of Kara Balgasun, which had a large craft trading district.

Archaeological excavations found traces of cities from the 10th- to 12th-century Kidan period. The most significant was Hatun Hot, founded in 944, and another was Bars-Hot in the Kherlen River valley, surrounded by mud walls.

Yurts

The yurt is the traditional home of Mongolian nomads. It is a round dwelling made from a wooden frame and covered with wool felt. In Mongolian, it is called a ger (гэр).

In the past, special yurts on carts were made for rulers. These large carts were pulled by oxen. Over time, yurt camps changed their arrangements. Yurts have influenced the design of Mongolian temples, and today, many people in Mongolia still live in yurts, especially in city suburbs.

Tents

Tents were important in Mongolian architecture, especially for people who moved with their animals. They built tents for special events like the Naadam festival and for big feasts. There were different kinds of tents: the jodgor was small and fit just one or two people, while the maihan was bigger and fit a group.

Long ago, in 1246, people built an enormous tent for a big ceremony. It could hold 2,000 guests and had beautiful decorations. Its design later inspired some temple buildings.

Imperial period

Karakorum was the first capital of the Mongol Empire. Later, the capital moved to Shangdu and then to Dadu. The Dening Hall built by the Yuan looks similar to palaces in Beijing and Karakorum.

Genghis Khan founded Karakorum in 1220. It started as a military center but became important for government and culture. The city had impressive palaces and temples, including Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim places of worship. Other notable palaces and cities from this time, like Palace Aurug, Hirhira, and Kondui, show that Mongolian leaders built lasting structures, not just temporary tents. These cities had difficult times when raids and wars stopped their growth.

Renaissance

After two hundred years without much culture, Mongolia had a rebirth in the late 1500s. This time had peace and the start of the Gelug school of Buddhism. New cities and temples were built, showing a return to culture.

Mongolian builders made special temple designs. They mixed Tibetan, Indian, and Mongolian styles. Early temples could be moved, but later ones had many angles and unique roofs. Famous temples like Erdene Zuu monastery show this mix. The Khalkha Mongols also built important holy buildings and monasteries then.

Post-renaissance

During the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s, people in Mongolia kept building temples. Architects looked at building designs and used translations of important books like the Kangyur to help them.

Many big monasteries were built, such as Züün Khüree, Amarbayasgalant, and Manjusri Hiid. In 1779, a large moving monastery named Ihe Huree came to what is now Ulaanbaatar. The temple for the boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara was finished between 1911 and 1913 to honor Mongolia’s independence. By the early 1900s, Mongolia had about 800 monasteries. Architects mixed old Asian styles with Russian designs. One example is the winter palace of the Bogd Khan, which used Russian style with Asian details.

Revolutionary architecture

The October Revolution brought changes to Mongolia's buildings. Many old monasteries were torn down. New styles came from the Soviet Union. One famous building was the Radio and Postal Communications Committee building with a pyramid-shaped tower. Other important buildings included the Mongoltrans offices, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Military Club. These buildings showed a new design style popular at the time.

Main articles: Constructivism

Classicism and mass production

Downtown Ulaanbaatar was designed by Soviet architects, who used classicism, also known as Stalinist architecture. Important buildings like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State University, Government House, the Opera House, and the State Library show this European classicism.

Mongolian architects tried to mix this neoclassicism with traditional Mongolian styles. B. Chimed designed the Mongolian State Academic Drama Theatre, the Mongolian Natural History Museum, and the Ulaanbaatar Hotel. His theatre has a square shape and a double-tier roof that remind us of Mongolian design. Other architects followed this style too. During the time of Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev in the Soviet Union, Mongolia built many simple apartment blocks called Ugsarmal bairs. These buildings were four, five, or nine stories tall and had basic rectangular shapes because they needed to be built quickly and cheaply. New cities like Darkhan, Erdenet, and Baganuur were also built during this time.

Modern period

During a time of change in Mongolia, people cared a lot about their traditional culture, including architecture. Many people helped fix important temples and statues, such as the Chenrezig temple in the Gandan Tegchinling monastery and the statue of Boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Artists and architects, led by an actor named Bold, tried to make the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, look more like an Asian city by adding traditional-style gates and shades in some areas. This project stopped during a financial crisis in 1998, but Mongolia's Buddhist leaders kept working on restoring and building monasteries.

As the economy got better, new modern buildings appeared. Tall glass buildings like the Ardiin Bank building (now Ulaanbaatar Bank) and the Chinggis Khan Hotel showed a new style of architecture. The Bodhi Tower, finished in 2004, has two parts: a classical building that matches older styles around Sükhbaatar Square, and a tall tower facing a back street. Other notable buildings include Ulaanbaatar's Narantuul Tower and Hotel Mongolia in the Bayanzürkh district, which has a silver-tree fountain similar to the old city of Karakorum. Plans for a new capital city at Karakorum were started but later stopped.