Mongolia: The Great Empire, the Ger and the Endless Steppe
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At its peak in the 13th century, the Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in human history — stretching from Korea to Hungary, from Siberia to Persia. Genghis Khan and his successors conquered more territory in 25 years than Rome acquired in 400. The Pax Mongolica — the peace imposed across the empire — reopened the Silk Road, connected Europe and China for the first time in centuries, and facilitated exchanges of culture, disease, technology, and goods that shaped the subsequent development of the entire Eurasian continent.
Modern Mongolia is a country of 3 million people in a territory the size of Western Europe, making it the most sparsely populated country on earth. Roughly half the population lives in the capital Ulaanbaatar; the other half lives a nomadic or semi-nomadic existence on the steppe, moving livestock between seasonal pastures in the same patterns their ancestors established. The ger — the circular felt tent, called a yurt in Russian — is the dwelling of the steppe. It assembles in an hour, disassembles in the same time, and creates a warm, functional home in temperatures that can reach minus 40 degrees.
Naadam — the national festival held every July — is three days of the Three Games of Men: wrestling, horsemanship, and archery. The horse race at Naadam covers 25 kilometres across open steppe and is ridden by children aged 5 to 12. The horses are Mongolian — small, stocky, extraordinarily hardy animals that can survive Mongolian winters without shelter. The jockeys are selected for lightness. The outcome is one of the most unusual sporting events on earth.
