Khotont

Overview

Khotont is a soum of about 2,200 km² in eastern Arkhangai, divided into six bags, one of them named after the Orkhon river that runs through this part of the valley.

Its great monument is Khar Balgas (Ordu-Baliq), the capital of the Uyghur Khaganate and one of the first true cities on the Mongolian steppe. It was destroyed by the Yenisei Kyrgyz in 840, and its walls and citadel still rise above the plain.

What to See

• The walls and central citadel of Khar Balgas
• The open Orkhon valley steppe, part of the UNESCO-listed Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape
• An easy pairing with Khöshöö Tsaidam in neighbouring Khashaat

Visiting

• Khar Balgas lies about 27 km north-northwest of Karakorum, on the west bank of the Orkhon, and is usually visited with Kharkhorin and Khöshöö Tsaidam.
• There is little shade or shelter on the plain; bring water and sun protection in summer.