Erdenezuu monastery

Oldest monastery in Mongolia. It is built on the site of the ancient Mongol capital of Karakorum. In fact, they say that materials from the demolished buildings of the capital were used in constructing the temple complex. The first pic is the main temple which is now a museum. One of the exhibits is a carving of a temple made from a single block of ebony. The Buddha inside is sandalwood. Pictures 3&4 are of the active part of the temple. The ger is active with chanting. The building nearby is the main temple and residence. The 5th pic is of the foundation of a large ger that could accommodate 300 people and predates the monastery. Last is a stupa, the top of a pedestal. There are 108 of them here as part of the wall all the way around the site. 108 is the number of beads in a Buddhist "rosary."Read more