Amarbayasgalant Monastery
Amarbayasgalant, one of the three largest monasteries of Mongolia. Location: 360 km north of Ulaanbaatar in the Baruunburen soum of Selenge province. The Manchu emperor, Enkh Amgalan Khan, built the monastery in the 18th century. And Amarbayasgalant is in the honor of the first Bogd Gegeen, Zanabazar, in order to keep and preserve his mortal remains. The construction began in 1727 and completed in 1737. The emperor personally wrote in four languages (Mongolian, Tibetan, Manchu, and Chinese) a message symbolizing his protection and his control. Also Amarbayasgalant is one of the rare monasteries that have partly avoided the destruction of 1937 by the Soviets. Since 1998, the lamas have been restoring the monastery, new statues have been ordered in New Delhi, India.
The Amarbayasgalant monastery shows a real archaeological unity. And the style is generally Chinese, with Mongolian and Tibetan influences. Also the place is symmetrical and the main buildings follow each other along a North-South axis; the other buildings are located on a parallel lateral axis.
Today you can see 28 constructions, notably a two-storeyed temple covering an area of 32 square metres (344 square feet) and open for the ceremonies. This remarkable 300-years old construction proudly stands.
