One of the most anticipated celebrations in Mongolia happens in the summer – the Naadam Festival (the Festival of the “Three Manly Sports”). Every year Mongolians enjoy watching how our strongest wrestlers, most meticulous archers, and swiftest horse riders compete for the pinnacle of achievement. The Naadam festival has deep historic roots in the 2nd and 1st centur...

  The spread of Islam into the territory of Central Asia and Kazakhstan led to the establishment of a significant cultural unity from Baghdad to the Syr Darya and Semirechye. The Silk Roads also contributed to this development. Numerous merchants brought various goods, while itinerant scientists broadened the horizons of people and facilitated the transfer of crafts, science, and art. ...

  The Marriage to the Sea is the annual ritual through which the “Maritime Republic” of Venice (Lane, 1973) represented its particular position in the Mediterranean Sea. For hundreds of years, until the end of the Republic as an independent state in 1797, the ritual would begin at the threshold of the summer of every year, precisely on the day of the Ascension of Christ. Th...

    Wrestling is an essential part of the na-tional festival of Mongolia. Every year on 11-12th of July, in the main stadium, a contingent of 512 wrestlers compete with each other. On some special occasions, the number is expanded to 1024. Mongolian wrestling has no classes based on weight or age, and the basic rule is that if a wrestler’s body part (elbow, knee, head, or...

Today the city’s population is over 1.3 million and makes up about 45 percent of Mongolia’s total population. Surprisingly, Mongolia is still one third fully nomadic and, as such, around 800,000 people live in “ger” (yurt) districts on the edge of town. Mongolia has four seasons. Summer is a very special time in Ulaanbaatar; we enjoy warm weather after long winter and s...

          Bactrian camels were commonly used on the Silk Road to carry goods. Because they could be used in nearly all terrains – from high mountains and cold, open plains to  inhospitable deserts – they were  indispensable to many traders and remain a big part of Silk Road lore. Bactrian camels are camels with two humps and two coats of hair...

Ibn Battuta: The legendary medieval Muslim adventurer Ibn Battuta (1304–1368) was a Muslim Moroccan explorer. During his life, He traveled extensively across North Africa and Asia, eventually reaching Mongol-ruled China, the furthest place from his homeland known at the time. After coming back home after 24 years, he left once again to visit Andalusia to the north, and Mali and Niger ...

Marco Polo: The First European traveled to the Orient Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant explorer. From 1271 to 1295, he traveled through Asia along the Silk Road, including China, Persia, India, and Japan. He wrote several travelogues describing orient cultures and inner workings, including the wealth and great size of the Mongol Empire and China in the Yuan Dynasty. His boo...

Zheng He: The Great Chinese Navigator Connecting the Silk Road Zheng He (1371-1433) was a Chinese traveler during China’s early Ming dynasty. Zheng explored Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Western Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. Sailing to the Indian Ocean seven times, Zheng promoted the Maritime Silk Road as well as the land Silk Road. Zheng’s expedition w...