Ikh Khorig
Encyclopedia
The Ikh Khorig, or Great Taboo, is a 240 km² area in the Khentii Aimag (province) of Mongolia
, believed by some to be the location of Genghis Khan’s grave
. It has been carefully guarded for most of its history, and it is only since the late 1980s that the area has been open to archeologists.
, Genghis Khan chose the area when he went hunting near the Burkhan Khaldun mountain in the Khentii Mountains
of his homeland. He sat down to rest under a tree, and was so impressed by the scenery that he said: "What a beautiful view! Bury me here when I pass away."
It is not known whether he really was buried there, but the Mongols
took several steps to give the impression that he was. The area, already made difficult to reach by a series of mountains covered in thick forest, was declared sacred, and off limits to everyone except the Darkhats, a group of elite warriors and their families, who were given the task of ensuring that no one else entered under penalty of death. The only legitimate reason for entrance was to bury a relative of Genghis Khan.
of the USSR, in 1924. The Soviets feared that if the region were made publicly accessible memories of Genghis Khan would encourage Mongolian nationalism
, so they declared the land a 'Highly Restricted Area' and cordoned off 10,400 square-kilometers of surrounding land. This adjacent land was used for storing nuclear materials and was the site of a highly secret MiG
airbase
. The Soviets built roads to the forbidden zone, but none within its borders.
ese team with the support of the Yomiuri Shimbun
newspaper. The team worked from 1989 to 1992 using ultrasound
technology, which enabled them to find 1380 possible graves of Mongolian nobles.
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, believed by some to be the location of Genghis Khan’s grave
Tomb of Genghis Khan
The location of the tomb of Genghis Khan has been the object of much speculation and research. As of 2011, the site remains undiscovered.- Historical accounts :Genghis Khan asked to be buried without markings...
. It has been carefully guarded for most of its history, and it is only since the late 1980s that the area has been open to archeologists.
Background
According to The Secret History of the MongolsThe Secret History of the Mongols
The Secret History of the Mongols is the oldest surviving Mongolian-language literary work...
, Genghis Khan chose the area when he went hunting near the Burkhan Khaldun mountain in the Khentii Mountains
Khentii Mountains
The Khentii Mountains are a mountain range in the Töv and Khentii Provinces in northern Mongolia. The chain overlaps the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area and includes Mongolia's sacred mountain, Burkhan Khaldun, which is associated with the origin of Genghis Khan.The range forms the watershed...
of his homeland. He sat down to rest under a tree, and was so impressed by the scenery that he said: "What a beautiful view! Bury me here when I pass away."
It is not known whether he really was buried there, but the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
took several steps to give the impression that he was. The area, already made difficult to reach by a series of mountains covered in thick forest, was declared sacred, and off limits to everyone except the Darkhats, a group of elite warriors and their families, who were given the task of ensuring that no one else entered under penalty of death. The only legitimate reason for entrance was to bury a relative of Genghis Khan.
History
The Darkhats and their descendents faithfully carried out their assignment from the Khan’s death in 1227 until the establishment of the Mongolian People's Republic, a satellite stateSatellite state
A satellite state is a political term that refers to a country that is formally independent, but under heavy political and economic influence or control by another country...
of the USSR, in 1924. The Soviets feared that if the region were made publicly accessible memories of Genghis Khan would encourage Mongolian nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, so they declared the land a 'Highly Restricted Area' and cordoned off 10,400 square-kilometers of surrounding land. This adjacent land was used for storing nuclear materials and was the site of a highly secret MiG
Mig
-Industry:*MiG, now Mikoyan, a Russian aircraft corporation, formerly the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau*Metal inert gas welding or MIG welding, a type of welding using an electric arc and a shielding gas-Business and finance:...
airbase
Airbase
An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....
. The Soviets built roads to the forbidden zone, but none within its borders.
Modern Excavations
The first archeological expedition to the region was the 1989 “Three Rivers” expedition, which was carried out by a joint Mongolian-JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese team with the support of the Yomiuri Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five national newspapers in Japan; the other four are the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, and the Sankei Shimbun...
newspaper. The team worked from 1989 to 1992 using ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
technology, which enabled them to find 1380 possible graves of Mongolian nobles.