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. Over time, materials changed from trellis walls and felt to stone, brick beams, and planks.

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, which shows yurt-style design. Other temples reflect Tibetan or Chinese styles, such as the 18th century Lavrin Temple in the Erdene Zuu lamasery and the Choijin Lama Süm temple (1904), now a museum. The quadratic 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).

Historically, special yurts on carts were made for rulers during the 12th and 13th centuries. These large carts were pulled by oxen. Over time, yurt camps changed from circular arrangements to neighborhood-style layouts. 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 when people lived by moving 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, during a big ceremony in 1246, people built an enormous tent that could hold 2,000 guests. This tent had beautiful decorations and its design later inspired some temple buildings.

Imperial period

Karakorum was the first capital of the Mongol Empire, later moved to Shangdu and finally to Dadu. The Dening Hall built by the Yuan shows similarities to the palace architecture of Beijing and Karakorum.

Founded by Genghis Khan in 1220, Karakorum grew from a military center to an important administrative and cultural hub. The city featured impressive palaces and temples, including Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim places of worship. Other notable palaces and cities from this time, such as Palace Aurug, Hirhira, and Kondui, show how Mongolian nobility built lasting structures beyond temporary tents. These cities faced tough times when raids and wars halted their growth.

Renaissance

After two centuries of cultural decline, Mongolia experienced a renaissance in the second half of the 16th century. This time brought peace and the introduction of the Gelug school of Buddhism. New cities and temples were built, marking a cultural revival.

Mongolian architects created unique temple designs, blending Tibetan, Indian, and traditional Mongolian styles. Early temples were mobile, but later evolved into structures with many angles and special roofs. Famous temples like Erdene Zuu monastery show this mix of styles. The Khalkha Mongols also built important stupas and monasteries during this time.

Post-renaissance

During the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, temple building continued in Mongolia. Architects studied building designs and used translations of important texts like the Kangyur for guidance.

Many important monasteries were built during this time, such as Züün Khüree, Amarbayasgalant, and Manjusri Hiid. In 1779, a large mobile monastery called Ihe Huree settled in what is now Ulaanbaatar. The temple of the boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara was completed between 1911 and 1913 to celebrate Mongolia’s independence. By the early 1900s, Mongolia had around 800 monasteries, and architects began blending traditional Asian styles with Russian designs. An example is the winter palace of the Bogd Khan, built in a Russian style with Asian touches.

Revolutionary architecture

The October Revolution led to big changes in Mongolia's culture and buildings. Many old monasteries were torn down, and new styles of architecture came in from the Soviet Union. One famous building was the Radio and Postal Communications Committee building, which had a pyramid-shaped tower on top. Other important buildings built in this style included the Mongoltrans offices, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Military Club. These structures showed a new way of designing that was 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 showed great interest in their traditional culture, including architecture. Many helped repair 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 certain areas. Although this project stopped during a financial crisis in 1998, Mongolia's Buddhist leaders kept working on restoring and building monasteries.

As the economy improved, 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, completed 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 features a silver-tree fountain similar to the old city of Karakorum. Plans for a new capital city at Karakorum were started but later abandoned.