Cave paintings from the Khoud Tsenker region

Mongolian Culture has been heavily influenced by the Mongol nomadic way of life. Other important influences are from Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, and from China. In the 20th century, Russian and, via Russia, European culture have had a strong effect on Mongolia. Not only Genghis Khan but also the nomadic peoples have had an influence on Mongolian fine arts.^[1] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Mongols (disambiguation). ... Communities of nomadic people move from place to place, rather than settling down in one location. ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Ladakh), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... This article is about the person. ... For the 2006 historical epic set in Kazakhstan, see Nomad (2006 film). ...

Traditional values

Among the topics that are mentioned from the oldest works of Mongolian literature to modern soft pop songs are love for the parents and homesickness, a longing for the place where one grew up. Horses have always played an important role in daily life as well as in the arts. Hospitality is so important in the steppes that it is traditionally taken for granted. Mongolians have an affinity to heroes, and the Mongolian word for hero, baatar, appears frequently in personal names, and even in the name of Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar. September 2004 Ulan Bator, or Ulaanbaatar (Улаанбаатар, [Ulaɣan Baɣatar]) in Mongolian, is the capital of Mongolia. ...

Ger

Ger is the Mongolian word for yurt, and yurts are part of the Mongolian national identity. The Secret History of the Mongols mentions Genghis Khan as the leader of all peoples who live in felt tents^[2], and even today a large share of Mongolia's population lives in yurts, even in Ulaan Bator. In Mongolian, ger also means home, and a number of other words are derived from this word stem. For example, gerlekh means to marry. A Yurt is a portable felt dwelling structure used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. ... This article is about the person. ... In-Silico Modeling and Conformational Mobility of String Pointer Reduction System (SPRS) Based on DNA Computers ...

Religion

In the 17th century, Tibetan Buddhism, or lamaism, became the dominant religion in Mongolia. Traditional Shamanism was, except in some remote regions, suppressed and marginalized. On the other hand, a number of shamanic practices, like ovoo worshipping, were incorporated into lamaist liturgy. Lamaism has often been accused of low morality and held responsible for being the main cause for Mongolia's backwardness by outside observers in the late 19th/ early 20th century, on the other hand the role of the Buddhist church was generally unquestioned by the Mongolian population. Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Ladakh), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ... This article is about the practice of shamanism; for other uses, see Shaman (disambiguation). ... Ovoo An ovoo (Mongolian: , heap) is a type of shamanistic rock cairn found in Mongolia. ...

Tibetan Buddhism is a ritualistic religion with a large number of gods and goddesses. This inspired the creation of religious objects including images in painting and sculptures.^[3]

After the stalinist purges in the 1930s, both Tibetan buddhism and shamanism were virtually outlawed in the Mongolian People's Republic. In Inner Mongolia, traditional religion was heavily affected by the Cultural Revolution.^[4] Since the 1990s, a number of Christian sects are trying to gain a foothold in Mongolia. There are also about 4% Muslim Mongolians. About 800 temples and monasteries were destroyed during the years of the purges The Stalinist Purges in Mongolia had their climax between 1937 and 1939, under the leadership of Khorloogiin Choibalsan. ... The Peoples Repubic of Mongolia was a communist state in central Asia which existed between 1924 and 1990. ... Inner Mongolia (Mongolian: ᠥᠪᠦᠷ ᠮᠣᠨᠺᠤᠯᠤᠨ ᠥᠪᠡᠷᠲᠡᠺᠡᠨ ᠵᠠᠰᠠᠬᠤ ᠣᠷᠤᠨ r Mongghul-un bertegen Jasaqu Orun; Chinese: 内蒙古自治区; Hanyu Pinyin: N i Měnggǔ Z qū) is an Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... This article is about the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Customs and Superstitions

Mongolians traditionally were afraid of misfortunes and believe in a variety of good and bad omens. Misfortune might be attracted by talking about negative things, or by persons that are often talked about. They might also be sent by some malicous shaman or enraged by breaking some taboo, like stepping on a yurt's threshold, desecrating waters or mountains, etc.^{[citation needed]} The most endangered family members were children, and that's why they would sometimes be given non-names like Nergui (Mongolian: without name) or Enebish (Mongolian: not this one), or boys would be dressed up as girls.^[5] Before going out at night, young children's foreheads are sometimes painted with charcoal or soot in order to deceive evil spirits that this is not a child but a rabbit with black hair on the forehead. // (This article is referring to personal naming customs in the state of Mongolia (known prior to 1995 as the Mongolian Peoples Republic). ...

When passing ovoos on a journey, they are often circumvented, and some sweets or the like are sacrificed, in order to have a further safe trip. Certain ovoos, especially those on high mountains, are also sacrificed to in order to obtain good weather, ward off misfortune and the like. Ovoo An ovoo (Mongolian: , heap) is a type of shamanistic rock cairn found in Mongolia. ...

For a child, the first big celebration is the first haircut, usually at an age between three and five.^[5] Birthdays were not celebrated in the old times, but these days, birthday parties are popular. Wedding ceremonies traditionally include the hand-over of a new ger to the marrying couple. Deceased relatives were usually put to rest in the open, where the corpses would be eaten by animals and birds. Nowadays, corpses are usually buried.^[5] A Yurt is a portable felt dwelling structure used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. ...

Festivities

The most important public festivals are the Naadams (Mongolian: games). The biggest one is held each year on July 11th-13th in Ulaanbaatar, but there are also smaller ones on aimag and sum levels. A naadam involves horse races, wrestling, and archery competitions. Horse racing at Naadam - a young jockey steers his horse past a second horse which died during the long-distance race Naadam ceremony in Ulaanbaatar, Central Stadium, 11 July 2006 Yurt at the Naadym festival at Tos-Bulak Naadam (Mongolian: , games) is the national festival of Mongolia held from July... September 2004 Ulan Bator, or Ulaanbaatar (Улаанбаатар, [Ulaɣan Baɣatar]) in Mongolian, is the capital of Mongolia. ... Mongolia is divided into 21 aymags or provinces. ... Sum map of Mongolia A sum (Mongolian: , arrow) is a second level administrative subdivision (district) of Mongolia. ... Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ... Ancient Greek wrestlers (Pankratiasts) Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two unarmed persons, in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of their opponent. ... Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ...

For families, the most important festival is Tsagaan Sar (Mongolian: white month or white moon), which is roughly equivalent to Chinese New Year and usually falls into January or February. Family members and friends visit each other, exchange presents - very popular presents for all opportunities are khadags - and eat huge quantities of buuz. Tsagaan Sar (Mongolian: , white moon) is the Mongolian lunar New Years festival. ... Chinese New Year (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), or Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. ... Buuz is a Mongolian dumpling or pastry of minced lamb or mutton, and an example of authentic Mongolian cuisine. ...

Literature

The oldest completely passed down work of Mongolian literature is probably also the most well-known abroad: The Secret History of the Mongols. It does, however, contain passages of older poetry. Otherwise, few examples of Mongolian literature from the time of the Mongol empire have come down in written form: fragments of a song about the mother and the area where one grew up were found in a soldier's grave at the Volga river in 1930, 25 manuscript and block print fragments were found in Turfan in 1902/03, Pyotr Kozlov brought some fragments from Khara-Khoto in 1909.^[6] The Secret History of the Mongols is the first literary work of Mongolian culture. ... Expansion of the Mongol Empire Historical map of the Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire, also known as the Mongolian Empire (Mongolian: , Mongolyn Ezent Güren; 1206–1405) was the largest contiguous empire in history and for sometime was the most feared in Eurasia. ... “Volga” redirects here. ... position in China Street of Turfan View of the Flaming mountains Emin minaret, Turfan Turfan (Uyghur: تۇرپان; Uyghur latin: Turpan; Modern Chinese 吐魯番, Pinyin: Tǔlǔfán; ) is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Pyotr Kuzmich Kozlov (Russian: ) (born October 3, 1863 near Smolensk; died September 26, 1935 in Peterhof) was a Russian explorer who continued the studies of Nikolai Przhevalsky in Mongolia and Tibet. ... Khara-Khoto refers to a Tangut city ruined by Genghis Khan in 1227 and discovered by Russian explorer Pyotr Kuzmich Kozlov during an expedition of the Gobi desert from 1907–1909. ...

Other pieces of literature have long been orally traded and typically consist of alliterative verses. They include the proverbs attributed to Genghis Khan, and the epics around the Khan's life, or the one about his two white horses. Other well-known epics deal with Geser Khan. Famous Oirad epics are Jangar, History of the four Oirad's Victory over the Mongols, Khan Kharangui, Bum Erdene, etc. The Old English epic poem Beowulf is written in alliterative verse. ... This article is about the person. ... The Epic of King Gesar is the premier epic poem of Tibet and much of Central Asia. ... The Oyirad (also spelled Oirat) is an alliance of the western Mongols. ...

Beginning from the 17th century, a number of chronicles have been preserved. They also contain long alliterative passages. Notable examples are the Altan Tovch by Luvsandanzan and another anonymous work of the same title, Sagang Sechen's Erdeniin Tovch, Lomi's History of the Borjigin clan (Mongol Borjigin ovgiin tüükh), and many more. The Altan Tobchi is a set of Mongolian judicial laws over historical content in the 17th century. ... Borjigin (plural Borjigit or Borjigid; Khalkha Mongolian: Боржигин, Borjigin; Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) were the imperial clan of Genghis Khan and his successors. ...

Already at the time of the Mongol empire, samples of Buddhist and Indian literature became known in Mongolia. Another wave of translations of Indian/Tibetan texts came with Mongolia's conversion to Tibetan Buddhism in the late 16th/ early 17th centuries. Beginning in the 1650s, copies of religious texts like the Kanjur and Tanjur and also of epics like Geser Khan began to be appear as block prints. These prints were mainly produced in Beijing, but also in some Mongolian monasteries. The Tengyur (Wylie: Bstan-gyur is the Tibetan collection of commentaries to the Buddhist teachings, or Translated Treatises. The Bejing version covers 3626 texts in 224 volumes, but numbers vary depending on the version. ... Yuan Dynasty woodblock edition of a Chinese play For the use of the technique in art, see Woodcut on the technique, and Old master print for the history in Europe and woodblock printing in Japan. ... Peking redirects here. ...

In Mongolia's time under the Qing dynasty, a number of Chinese novels were translated into Mongolian. At the same time, social discontent and an awakening Mongol nationalism lead to the creation of critical works like Injanash's historical novel Blue Chronicle or the stories about "Crazy" Shagdar.^[7] Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Qing China at its greatest extent. ...

Beginning with the works of Tseveen Jamsrano and other Buryats in the 1910s, many important works of Russian and European literature, or at least those that were not politically incorrect, were translated into Mongolian in the 20th century.^{[citation needed]} The Buryats, numbering approximately 436,000, are the largest ethnic minority group in Siberia and are mainly concentrated in their homeland, the Buryat Republic. ...

Religious theatre plays about the Tibetan hermit Milarepa were already performed in the 18th and 19th centuries. The oldest Mongolian drama known today, "Moon cuckoo" (Saran khökhöö) was created by Danzanravjaa around 1831. The play got lost in the early 20th century^[8], but in the meantime other theatre groups had developed. The first professional Mongolian theatre was founded in Ulaanbaatar in 1930.^[9] In the socialist period, every aimag got its own theatre. Since the 1990s, a number of small privately owned theatre companies, like Mask or Shine üe prodakshn have been founded. They heavily focus on light comedies and skits, and also regularly produce clips that are distributed on DVD or the internet. For other uses, see Hermit (disambiguation). ... For the film, see Milarepa (film). ... September 2004 Ulan Bator, or Ulaanbaatar (Улаанбаатар, [UlaÉ£an BaÉ£atar]) in Mongolian, is the capital of Mongolia. ... Mongolia is divided into 21 aymags or provinces. ...

Fine Arts

Before the 20th century, most works of the fine arts in Mongolia had a religious function, and therefore Mongolian fine arts were heavily influenced by religious texts.^[10] Thangkas were usually painted or made in applique technique. Bronze sculptures usually showed Buddhist deities. A number of great works are attributed to the first Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, Zanabazar. A Thangka is a painted or embroidered Tibetan banner which was hung in a monastery or a family altar and carried by lamas in ceremonial processions. ... Quilt block in applique and reverse applique Applique or appliqué (from French, applied) is an ancient needlework technique in which pieces of fabric, embroidery, or other materials are sewn onto a foundation fabric to create designs. ... The Khalkha Jebtsundamba Khutughtu (also known as Javzandamba Hutagt in Khalkha Mongolian; also as Rje Btsun Dam Pa or Jetsun Dampa in Tibetan — all meaning lit. ...

In the late 19th century, painters like "Marzan" Sharav turned to more realistic painting styles. During the socialist period, socialist realism was the dominant painting style.^[11] The Peoples Repubic of Mongolia was a communist state in central Asia which existed between 1924 and 1990. ... Roses for Stalin, Boris Vladimirski, 1949 For other meanings of the term realism, see realism (disambiguation). ...

Music

Main article: Music of Mongolia

Mongolia has a very old musical tradition. Key traditional elements are throat-singing, the Morin Khuur (horse head fiddle) and other string instruments, and several types of songs. Mongolian melodies are typically characterized by pentatonic harmonies and long end notes. Mongolian musician Music is an integral part of Mongolian culture. ... Throat singing, a traditional Central Asian art similar to what is sometimes called in the western world overtone singing, harmonic singing, or harmonic chant (terms created by David Hykes in 1975), and many other regional names, is a type of singing that manipulates the harmonic resonances (or formants) created as... Mongolian musician playing the Morin khuur The morin khuur or morin huur (from the Mongolian: морин хуур) or matouqin (from the Chinese: 馬頭琴) is a chordophone of Mongolian origin whose name roughly translates as horse-head fiddle in English. ...

In the 20th century, western style classical music has been introduced, and mixed with traditional elements by some composers. Later on the full palette of Pop and Rock music has also been adopted by younger musicians.

Cinema

Main article: Cinema of Mongolia

In socialist times, movies were treated as a propaganda instrument by the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party. The first topics were popular legends and revolutionary heroes like in Sükhbaatar. In the 1950s, the focus shifted to working class heroes, as in New Year. The 1970s saw many documentaries and everyday life stories as in The Clear Tamir. The Cinema of Mongolia has been strongly influenced by the Cinema of Russia, which differenciates it from cinematic developments in the rest of Asia. ... Official logo of the Mongolian Peoples Revolutionary Party The Mongolian Peoples Revolutionary Party (Mongolian: Mongol Ardyn Khuvsgatt Nam, Монгол Ардын Хувьсгалт Нам) is a ex-communist political party in Mongolia. ...

After democratisation, filmmakers turned to international partners for support, as in the Japanese-Mongolian co-production Genghis Khan. Independent directors like Dorjkhandyn Turmunkh, and Byambasuren Davaa created movies that connected ancient traditions and mythology, and how they may relate to life in a modern world. Byambasuren's The Story of the Weeping Camel was nominated for an Academy Award as foreign documentary in 2005. Byambasuren Davaa (1971 in Ulaanbaatar - ) is a Mongolian film maker currently residing in Germany. ... The Story of the Weeping Camel film poster The Story of the Weeping Camel is a 2003 Mongolian documentary produced by ThinkFilm. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ...

Cuisine

Main article: Mongolian cuisine

The Mongolian cuisine is primarily based on meat and dairy products, with some regional variations. The most common meat is mutton, supplemented in the desert south by camel meat, in the northern mountains by beef (including yak). Dairy products are made from mare's milk (Airag), from cattle, yaks, and camels (eg. clotted cream). The traditional Mongolian cuisine primarily consists of Dairy products and meat. ... The traditional Mongolian cuisine primarily consists of Dairy products and meat. ... This article is about the food. ... A dairy farm near Oxford, New York in the United States. ... An unweaned lamb Legs of lamb in a supermarket cabinet The terms lamb, hoggett or mutton are culinary names for the meat of a domestic sheep. ... For other uses, see Camel (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Beef (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Yak (disambiguation). ... Kumis (called airag by the Mongolians), is a traditional drink of the people of Central Asia. ...

Starting in the second half of the 20 century, vegetables are increasingly becoming a part of the Mongol diet as well. In the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, there is a wide range of imported food available. September 2004 Ulan Bator, or Ulaanbaatar (Улаанбаатар, [Ulaɣan Baɣatar]) in Mongolian, is the capital of Mongolia. ...

Clothing

Mongolian deels for a man (left) and a woman (right)

. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 452 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 796 pixel, file size: 89 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Culture of Mongolia Ethnic Mongols in... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 452 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (600 × 796 pixel, file size: 89 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Culture of Mongolia Ethnic Mongols in...

Mongolian dress has changed little since the days of the empire, because it is supremely well-adapted to the conditions of life on the steppe and the daily activities of pastoral nomads. However, there have been some changes in styles which distinguish modern Mongolian dress from historic costume. The deel, or kaftan, is the Monglian traditional garment worn on both workdays and special days. It is a long, loose gown cut in one piece with the sleeves; it has a high collar and widely overlaps at the front. The deel is girdled with a sash. Mongolian deels always close on the wearer's right, and traditionally have five fastenings. Modern deels often have decoratively cut overflaps, small round necklines, and sometimes contain a Mandarin collar. This article is about the ecological zone type. ... Communities of nomadic people move from place to place, rather than settling down in one location. ... A mandarin collar is a short unfolded stand-up collar style on a shirt or jacket. ...

Depictions of Mongols during the time of the empire, however, show deels with more open necklines, no collars, and very simply cut overflaps, similar to the deels still worn by lamas in modern Mongolia. In addition to the deel, both men and women might wear loose trousers beneath, and women might also wear underskirts. Skirts of the same style are still worn in part of Mongolia and China today; they have plain front and back panels with closely pleated side panels. Paintings of Mongols from Persian and Chinese sources depict men, and often women, wearing their hair in braids. The hair would be divided into two pigtails, each of which would be divided into three braids. The ends of the braids would then be looped up and bound to the top of the braid behind the ears. Men also shaved the tops and sides of their heads, usually leaving only a short "forelock" in front and the long hair behind. The famous boqtaq headdress worn by women seems to have been restricted to married women of very high rank.^[12] There are parishes that have the name Lamas in Portugal: Lamas, a parish in the municipality of Braga Lamas, a parish in the municipality of Cadaval Lamas, a parish in the municipality of Miranda do Corvo Lamas, a parish in the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros Lamas, a parish in... A skirt is a traditionally feminine tube- or cone-shaped garment which is worn from the waist and covers the legs. ... This article is about the Persian people, an ethnic group found mainly in Iran. ...

Each ethnic group living in Mongolia has its own deel design distinguished by cut, color and trimming. Before the revolution, all social strata in Mongolia had their own manner of dressing. Livestock-breeders, for example, wore plain deels, which served them both summer and winter. The priests wore yellow deels with a cape or khimj thrown over it. Secular feudal lords put on smart hats and silk waistcoats.^[13] Feudalism comes from the Late Latin word feudum, itself borrowed from a Germanic root *fehu, a commonly used term in the Middle Ages which means fief, or land held under certain obligations by feodati. ...

Games

Popular board games are chess, and checkers. The chess figures are noyon (noble) = king, bers (cp. bars "tiger") = queen, temee (camel) = bishop, mori (horse) = knight, tereg (cart) = castle, khüü (boy) = pawn. The rules are (nowadays) the same as in European chess. Domino is also quite widespread. Indigenous card games existed in the 19th century,but are now lost. This article is about the Western board game. ... starting position on a 10×10 draughts board Draughts, also known as checkers, is a group of mental sport board games between two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over the enemys pieces. ... Domino redirects here—for other meanings of the word, see Domino (disambiguation). ...

Sheep anklebones, or Shagai, are used in a number of different games, as dice, or as token. "Rock, Paper, Scissors"- and Morra-like games are also played.^[14] Wood knots and disentanglement puzzles have traditionally been popular. Shagai (Mongolian: Шагай) is the Mongolian word for the cuboid bone of the ankle of a sheep. ... Rock, Paper, Scissors chart Listen to this article ( info/dl) This audio file was created from an article revision dated 2006-07-13, and may not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... Morra is a hand game that goes back thousands of years to ancient Roman and Greek times. ... A burr puzzle in unsolved form The same puzzle, solved Historically, burr puzzles were made from wooden pieces but are now usually made from plastic. ... A ball-in-cage puzzle in unsolved form The same puzzle in solved form Disentanglement puzzles usually have two different tasks to be solved, namely first to disassemble the puzzle and then to put it together again. ...

See also

• Traditional Mongolian medicine
• Long-song
• Architecture of Mongolia
• Music of Mongolia
• Goyol Fashion Festival
• Tengriism, Mongolian shamanism

Traditional Mongolian medicine developed over many years among the Mongolian people. ... Long-songs are one of the greatest features of traditional Mongolian music. ... Model of the Maitreya Temple. ... Mongolian musician Music is an integral part of Mongolian culture. ... It has been suggested that Tengri be merged into this article or section. ...

References

2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Tsendiin Damdinsüren (Mongolian: , 1908-1986) was a Mongolian writer and linguist. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Mongolian art exhibit