The Genghis Khan Equestrian statue
The Genghis Khan equestrian statue is an amazing monument that is the main attraction in the Genghis Khan Statue Complex. The statue is an amazing sight that stands on a 10-meter-tall visitors’ center that features a museum, restaurant, and souvenir shop. The statue itself stands at 30 meters tall making it a combined whopping 40 meters, this also makes the Genghis khan equestrian statue the largest equestrian statue in the world. In this article, we will go into more depth on the statue and the complex that it resides within.
Who built the Genghis Kahn Equestrian statue?
The statue was designed by sculptor D. Erdenebileg and architect J. Enkhjargal, these men were commissioned to design the statue and its visitors’ center by a Mongolian company called The Genco Tour Bureau. This company spent an estimated 4.1 million dollars to build the statue complex in 2008. Although the statue itself was completed in 2008 the complex in which it resides is not finished yet. Upon its completion, it will feature 200 gers (yurts), an open-air theater, an artificial lake, and a man-made forest. According to this article the Genghis Khan Statue Complex will feature an army of 10,000 steel and bronze statue warriors. According to the same article, you can be a part of Genghis khans army and have a statue commissioned to be built featuring your own face. These custom statues will cost 20 million Tugrik (around 10,700 US dollars) for a steel warrior and 30 million Tugrik (around 16,000 US dollars).
What is the Genghis khan Equestrian statue made out out of and what does it signify?
The statue itself is made of a beautifully, polished steel and features the gold whip that he found in the location. It also symbolically faces east to the rumored location of his birthplace. The decision to build the statue in this location is because according to folk law, in the year 1177, while Genghis khan was on his way along with his brothers to present a robe to Tooril khan of Hereid the best friend of Genghis Khan’s father at the time, he found a golden whip in the area. This is a very significant thing to find because in Mongolian culture if a man finds a whip it is a sign of great fortune and is a very symbolic event of what’s to come in the future.
Where is the Genghis khan equestrian statue located?
The statue makes a nice day trip seeing as it is located only 54km away from Ulaanbaatar and can be accessed by fully paved roads. It is also only a short distance from Terelj national park making the statue complex a nice spot to stop and see if you were already planning on going to the national park.
What’s on the inside of the Genghis khan equestrian statue?
As previously mentioned on the inside of the pedestal on which the statue resides there is a visitors’ center that features a museum, restaurant, and souvenir shop. In the museum, you can find many different exhibits showing off the family lineage of Genghis khan and many artifacts that show how the nomadic Mongolians lived at the time. The museum also holds the biggest replica of a Mongolian boot in the world that stands at a height of 12 meters and is 6 meters long. While in the visitors center, you can take an elevator up to the head of the horse on the statue, and take a look at the views of the surrounding area.
