For National Pride Day, the 863rd Anniversary of the Birth of Great Emperor Chinggis Khaan

Ulaanbaatar, November 21, 2025 /MONTSAME/. This time MONTSAME is inviting you to a fascinating tour in the National Museum named after the great man in Mongol and world history, Chinggis Khaan. Three years ago, in 2022, Mongols achieved a historic feat that will be recorded in golden letters in our nation’s history - the opening of the Chinggis Khaan National Museum of Mongolia. We are delighted to present an interview with Dr. Chuluun Sampildondov, Director of the Chinggis Khaan Museum of Mongolia, Honored Scientist of Mongolia, Academician, and Historian.

Around the world, there are many famous museums dedicated to the great emperors. Among these museums, what makes the Chinggis Khaan National Museum of Mongolia stand out? And comparing the historical impact of Chinggis Khaan with that of other imperial leaders, what interesting conclusions can we draw?

The decision to establish the Chinggis Khaan National Museum was made five years ago by President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, who was Prime Minister of Mongolia at that time. It was a historic decision to promote and popularize the glorious legacies of Chinggis Khaan worldwide and to have a center for education and enlightenment on Mongol history.

The world has seen many kings and royals who proclaimed their renown and left their mark in history. However, very few have influenced humanity as profoundly as Chinggis Khaan did. Chinggis Khaan truly stands out as a Man of the last Millennium. It has been around 2,000 years since the most active era in the history of states began; and for roughly half of that timespan, the last 1,000 years, the fame and legacy of the Great Chinggis Khaan have reverberated around the world, commanding worldwide respect.

There are two types of museums dedicated to great emperors and rulers. One type is a palace or residence-museum. The other type is a museum built in honor of the ruler, displaying relics, historical and cultural artefacts, and items used by the ruler. The Chinggis Khaan National Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of statehood of Mongolia. As such, the Museum covers three main periods - the history of Chinggis Khaan and his forefathers, including the Huns; the history of the Great Mongol Empire consolidated and ruled by the sons and grandsons of the Great Khaan; and the history of the golden lineage of the Great Khaan in the early 20th century. For 70 years, discussing the history of Chinggis Khaan was restricted. In 1962, many people were purged and repressed for commemorating the 800th anniversary of birth of Chinggis Khaan. So, those were years when Chinggis Khaan’s history was a taboo in Mongolia, and Mongols had no right to honor their great Khaan. However, in 1996, The Washington Post named Chinggis Khaan as the “Man of the Millennium.”

Naturally, anyone visiting the homeland of Chinggis Khaan wants, and indeed, needs to learn about his history. And, of course, the source of this knowledge would be the land he was born and the heritage he left behind. The Government of Mongolia then decided to establish this Museum to tell the full story of the Great Khaan. This Museum embodies the knowledge and wisdom, ideas and expertise, skills and talents of Mongol scholars, scientists, architects, sculptors, craftsmen, artisans as well as generous support of many Mongolists, experts and good-willed people around the world. Constructed during the most challenging period of the pandemic, our Museum stands as the largest cultural development our country has seen in the past 30 years.

During its time, how much of the world's population was ruled by the Mongol Empire, and how unique is this in world history?

Humanity has viewed Mongol history, particularly the history of Chinggis Khaan, in different ways. There are perspectives of the peoples who descend from those conquered by Chinggis Khaan, while the views of fellow Mongols, who see him as their great leader, are different. Over time, and especially thanks to research by the leading scholars of the world, the way people perceive Chinggis Khaan has changed.

Chinggis Khaan was not solely a conqueror, he was the founder of the grand exchange across Eurasia. At that time, Eurasia was basically the world itself, as America and Australia had yet to be discovered, and there were no major empires in Africa. With the establishment of the Mongol Empire, an unprecedented exchange flourished between Europe and Asia, particularly in terms of economic, trade, and infrastructure connectivity. One of the greatest achievements of the Great Mongol Empire was ensuring security along the Silk Road in its entirety, the largest trade route of its time.

For centuries, humanity had struggled with religious conflicts, but under the rule of the Mongol Empire, religious freedom was universally granted. Before the Mongol Empire, Europe and Asia were thought to be separate and unreachable for each other worlds, yet the Mongol governance fostered connections, cultural exchanges and ties between and among civilizations. In many ways, Chinggis Khaan shaped the history of humankind in the most dramatic ways.

The Great Mongol Empire of the 13th century did resolve many issues that the modern world cannot resolve, and dreams of settling. That is precisely why Jack Weatherford titled his book as Chinggis Khaan making the modern world. The humanity to this date struggles to settle wars, liberalize economies and ensure freedom of religion. These challenges had been addressed and resolved by the Great Mongol Khaan in the 13th century, which is why the global view of Chinggis Khaan and Mongol history is changing. This Museum aims at contributing to reshaping global perspectives on Chinggis Khaan and Mongol history.

When the Chinggis Khaan Museum opened, it had over 12,000 exhibits. What are the most unique items that you display?

As of today, we have around 13,400 exhibits, of which every single one is unique. Each exhibit tells a story, even something as small as an arrowhead bears historical importance.

Compared to other museums, what makes ours extraordinary is that 93 percent of our exhibits are original items. Moreover, this is the largest and most comprehensive museum on nomadic civilization in the modern world. No other museum in the world presents nomadic history on this scale and magnitude.

For example, the exhibits belonging to the 2000-year-old Hun Empire tell fascinating stories of how truly sophisticated the mentality, philosophies, ideals, and arts of those nomads were. The most illustrious items are the finds of the Gol Mod burial complex of Hun aristocrats.

Noteworthy, the ancient artifacts found in Mongol lands are strikingly different from those of settled civilizations of China and Central Asia. Yet at the same time, they reveal amazing connections between cultures. For instance, Hun noble tombs have yielded Roman, Greek, and Indian artifacts, and the Chinese Han Dynasty relics, proving that an extensive network of cultural exchange existed even in ancient times. Since the founding of the Museum, we have experienced something akin to the Mongol proverb, “Sav n biy bolohoor saali n biy boldog” [When there is a vessel, there will be milk], meaning that remarkable artifacts continue to be discovered. To share something enravishing with the readers, I will highlight two exceptional discoveries:

As a classical relic of the Mongol aristocratic culture, we have a saddle made entirely from horse teeth, a one-of-a-kind relic. This saddle has never been exhibited anywhere before.

Archaeologist Ts. Turbat and his team from the National University of Mongolia unearthed a solid silver saddle from the Tavantolgoi burial site in Ongon soum of Sukhbaatar aimag. This noblewoman’s saddle is adorned with an intricate image of a mythical phoenix. Additionally, for the first time, a gold-plated, solid silver Gerege was discovered in the Altai Mountains. Inscribed in Square Script, the main script of the Yuan Dynasty, this artifact bears exceptional historical and scientific value.

The full interview will be published in an upcoming issue of The Mongol Messenger.