To help inspire or plan your trip to Mongolia, some of its major attractions for travellers are shown below, including some of the best natural, historical, cultural and adventure sites in the country. These include all of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for Mongolia which represent the best of the world's cultural and natural heritage.
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UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Mongolia

Karakorum

Karakorum was the 13th century capital of Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire but little remains today but some ancient ruins. Erdene Zuu (or Hundred Treasures) Monastery was built in 1586 from the ruins of the old capital and was Mongolia's first Buddhist centre. Much of the monastery was destroyed by Stalin in the 1930s but it is being restored as Buddhism experiences a resurgence in Mongolia. There are three main temples in the walled compound dedicated to the three stages of the Buddha's life.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape

Uvs Nuur Basin

The Uvs Nuur Basin is located in western Mongolia and across the border in Russia. It covers over ten thousand km² and is the northernmost of the enclosed basins of central Asia. It's an important ecosystem for wildlife, with the Uvs Nuur Lake frequented by sea birds and migratory birds, and the mountains a home for the endangered snow leopard, Asiatic ibex and Argali sheep.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Uvs Nuur Basin

Mongolian Petroglyphic Complexes

The three rock carving sites of the Mongolian Altai illustrate the development of culture in Mongolia over a period of 12,000 years. The images show the transition from a time dominated by the hunting of large game to a herding lifestyle and later to a horse-dependent nomadic lifestyle which emerged during the early 1st millennium BC. They represent an invaluable testament to human cultural development in the region.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Petroglyphic Complexes of the Mongolian Altai


Other World Heritage Sites in Mongolia

Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape