National Museum of Mongolia- things to know before visiting

On day 3 of our trip to Mongolia, we visited the National Museum of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar to understand Mongolia’s culture and history better.

Upon arrival, our tour guide, Enerel, arranged to purchase the entrance ticket, and I also paid for the additional 20000₮ as a photography fee so that I could take photographs inside the museum.

National Museum of Mongolia-20000₮ as photography fees — **(20000₮ as photography fee)**

There are so many things to study and delve deep into, but since we only had about an hour in the museum, our guide focused on showing us the most important things and explaining them whenever possible.

**(The Soyombo is a special character from the Soyombo script and is a national symbol of Mongolia, representing freedom, independence, and the eternal existence of the Mongolian people.)**

Exhibition halls in the museum:

The museum has 9 main exhibition halls in the National Museum of Mongolia, covering everything from ancient Mongolian history to traditional clothing and jewelry, as well as the life and culture of present-day Democratic Mongolia.

Hall 1: Mongolia’s ancient history from 800,000 BC to 300 BC, focusing on stone tools and objects used for rituals or religious ceremonies.
Hall 2: Artifacts related to ancient states established from the 3rd century BC to the 12th century, including the powerful empire set up by the Hunnu people.
Hall 3: Traditional clothing and jewelry from Mongolia’s ethnic groups, including ceremonial attire, seasonal dress, and accessories.
Hall 4: The Mongolian Empire, including the time of Chinggis Khan and his successors, historical military equipment, and artifacts from the ruins of Kharakhorum.
Hall 5: Mongolian traditional culture tied to the nomadic lifestyle, including items of spiritual importance, manuscripts, musical instruments, and more.
Hall 6: Mongolian traditional life, focusing on the nomadic lifestyle, including a furnished ger and tools for cattle breeding, hunting, and agriculture.
Hall 7: Covering the period from the 17th to the early 20th centuries when Mongolia was under Manchu rule.
Hall 8: Information about Socialist Mongolia (1921-1990), influenced by socialist ideology.
Hall 9: Democratic Mongolia, beginning in 1990 with a peaceful revolution that transformed the country into a democratic state.

National Museum of Mongolia- tFuneral rite during the Xiongnu, Xianbei period — **(Funeral rite during the Xiongnu, Xianbei period)**

National Museum of Mongolia- Traditional clothing of Mongolia's ethnic groups — **(Traditional clothing of Mongolia’s ethnic groups)**

National Museum of Mongolia- things to know before visiting, Coral ornament of the forehead and earring — **(Coral ornament of the forehead and earring)**

The traditional Mongolian costume, Deel i — **(The traditional Mongolian costume, Deel, is made of silk. It is for kids between the ages of 12 and 16.)**

The key exhibits at the museum are:

Gold Treasure: A golden tiara discovered in 2001 by archaeologists near the Kul-Teginii Monument in Övörkhangai.
Actual examples of 12th-century Mongol armor.
Correspondence between Pope Innocent IV and Guyuk Khaan.
A furnished ger, traditional herding, domestic implements, saddles, and musical instruments.
Sükhbaatar’s hollow horsewhip and Jügderdemidiin Gurragchaa’s cosmonaut suit.
Stone Age sites, petroglyphs, deer stones, and burial sites from the Hun and Uighur eras provide a glimpse into Mongolia’s prehistoric past.

(Ganlin is a trumpet made from the thighbone used in special religious occasions during the 19th and 20th centuries. According to our guide, it was traditionally made from the bone of a young unmarried woman.)

Morin Khuur i — **(The Morin Khuur, a.k.a. horsehead fiddle**, **is the most important musical instrument for the Mongolian people and is a symbol of the Mongolian nation.)**

Jügderdemidiin Gurragchaa's cosmonaut suit — **(Jügderdemidiin Gurragchaa’s cosmonaut suit)**

Jügderdemidiin Gurragchaa’s was the first Mongolian and second Asian to enter space. He launched aboard Soyuz 39 on March 22, 1981, with Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov.

The last king of Mongolia, Bogdo Jivzundamba
Khutugtu and queen Dondogdulam — **(The last king of Mongolia, Bogdo Jivzundamba Khutugtu and Queen Dondogdulam)**

More about the museum

The establishment of the National Museum of Mongolia dates back to 1924. The current building, constructed in 1971 as the Museum of Revolution, was later renamed the National Museum of Mongolia in April 2008.

The museum has a vast collection of over 57,000 objects related to the history of Central Asia and Mongolia. It covers the period from prehistory to the end of the 20th century, including prehistory, the Mongol Empire, Mongolia during Qing rule, ethnography, and traditional life.

The traditional attire for Mongolian wrestlers, — **(The traditional attire for Mongolian wrestlers)**

Visitor Information

From May 15th to September 15th, the museum is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The ticket office operates from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., with the last entrance at 7:30 p.m. The admission fees are as follows:

Adults: 20000₮
Students: 10000₮
Children aged 0-16 can enter for free.
Guided tours are available in Mongolian and English but require a minimum of 10 visitors, so please book in advance. Photography charges are 20000₮, and audio guides in English are available for 8000₮.