Erdeni Dzu
Erdeni Dzu
the first Buddhist monastery and largest religious and political center in medieval Mongolia. Erdeni Dzu was founded in 1585 in the southern part of Karakorum, the capital of the old Mongolian state. In the 18th century the monastery was heavily damaged, and later in the century it began to lose its importance.
Parts of the monastery that have been preserved include walls with numerous towers (suburgans) and gates, several temples, fragments of wall paintings, and a sculpture. Erdeni Dzu was restored in the 1940’s. The monastery is now a museum.