Erdene Zuu Monastery

Photo

by Marcin Konsek

/ CC BY-SA 4.0

Erdene Zuu Monastery, located in Kharkhorin, Mongolia, is one of the oldest surviving Buddhist monasteries in the country. Founded in 1585 by Abtai Sain Khan, it stands on the ruins of the ancient Mongol capital of Karakorum. The monastery complex originally boasted over 100 temples and housed up to 1,000 monks, although much of it was destroyed during the Stalinist purges of the 1930s. Today, it functions as both a museum and an active place of worship, featuring stunning architecture, intricate artwork, and an array of Buddhist artifacts.

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