Khar Balgas (Ordu-Baliq)

History

In 744 the Uyghurs overthrew the last Göktürk qaghan, and their ruler Bayanchur made Ordu-Baliq his imperial capital, on the site of an older nomadic centre on the Orkhon river. It grew into a fortified city of at least 32 square kilometres, with palaces, temples, markets and Sogdian merchants.

The city was the centre of a khaganate that traded horses for Chinese silk and adopted Manichaeism as its state religion. A trilingual inscription found here records the khaganate's history.

In 840, after a palace coup and a famine had weakened the khaganate, the Yenisei Kyrgyz sacked and razed Ordu-Baliq. The Uyghurs scattered, and the city was never rebuilt.

What to See

• The great clay walls of the palace or temple complex, about 360 by 404 metres
• The 12-metre citadel in the southeast corner and the central stupa mound
• The scale of the surrounding city, still visible across the steppe

Visiting

• About 27 km north-northwest of Karakorum, on the west bank of the Orkhon, in Khotont soum, Arkhangai.
• Usually visited together with Kharkhorin and Khöshöö Tsaidam; a 4x4 or tour vehicle is recommended.
• There are few facilities at the site: bring water, and respect the ruins by not climbing the walls.

Distances and travel times are approximate. Check local conditions, opening hours and permits before you travel.