The holidays are here, are you ready for takeoff?
Dominating Ulaanbaatar's Sükhbaatar Square, the capital's seat of government is especially alluring after dark, when the facade is illuminated.
The world's largest equestrian statue depicts the fearsome Emperor of the Mongols astride his steed. The monument is located 54 km (33.5 mi) east of Ulaanbaatar.
A common sight in Mongolia, horses along with goats and camels, roam freely throughout the country.
Celebrated in bone-chilling daytime temperatures as low as -32°C, Tsagaan Sar—the Mongolian Lunar New Year—sees many revelers donning national Mongol costumes.
Sources: ( Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia)
The valley contains the ruins of Genghis Khan's capital Karakorum, among other cultural must-sees.
Mongolian shamanism, also referred to as Mongolian folk religion, is a centuries-old practice, and deeply rooted to all aspects of social life. Don't be surprised to meet a shaman (pictured) during your travels.
The Mongolian landscape is marked by Ovoos, sacred stone heaps used as altars or shrines. They are often found on high ground and mountain summits.
The Mongolian capital is the country's vibrant, industrialized hub. It's also one of the coldest capital cities in the world.
Dating back to the early 18th century, this is one of Mongolia's most important monasteries. Its name translates as "Monastery of Tranquil Felicity."
The Otgon Tenger is the highest peak in the Khangai Range. Its isolated position and permanent snowcap make it a familiar landmark.
Founded in 1586, this was the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. Described as a treasure of the nation, the temple is located in Kharkhorin.
This vast nation of steppe and desert boasts just three million people, making it the most sparsely populated fully sovereign country in the world.
Typically covered with skins or felt, the ger is ideally suited to Mongolia's harsh terrain and lifestyle.
Hunting with eagles is a traditional form of falconry carried out on horseback. Using golden eagles to prey on foxes and hares, many riders are of Kazakhstani descent.
Held in high prestige, horses serve as working animals, and are also raced. A nomad with many horses is considered wealthy, but the animals are not an expensive luxury item as in Western culture.
This reserve, established in 1993, also numbers Przewalski's horses among its varied wildlife, which includes the equally scarce saiga antelope.
Horses play a hugely important role in Mongol society. In fact, Mongolia is the top-ranked country for the highest number of horses per capita, notes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia.
The highlight of the country's festival calendar, Naadam is a refined and eloquent expression of Mongolia's nomadic culture.
The Gobi covers 30% of Mongolian territory, though only 5% of its total area is sand dunes. The rest is made up of mountains and steppe.
UNESCO lists the Orkhon River Valley landscape as representing the evolution of nomadic pastoral traditions spanning more than two millennia.
Of the three million people living in Mongolia, an estimated 35% of them choose to live as nomadic herders.
Eagle hunting customs are displayed with considerable flair at the annual Golden Eagle Festival, held during the first weekend of October.
Nestling in a valley are the ruins of an 18th-century monastery (also called Manjusri), which was destroyed during the Stalinist purges of the 1930s. An onsite museum chronicles its history.
A herd of rare and endangered Przewalski's horses trots across an area of the park known as the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area, in southwest Mongolia.
The nomadic culture that personifies the world's most sparsely populated nation is simply unique. Little explored, this vast central Asian nation captivates with its landscapes of mountains, desert, and steppes.
Click on the gallery and wander through this fascinating land of the nomads.
Explore Mongolia, the land of the nomads
A stunning landscape with a rich cultural heritage
TRAVEL Central asia
The nomadic culture that personifies the world's most sparsely populated nation is simply unique. Little explored, this vast central Asian nation captivates with its landscapes of mountains, desert, and steppes.
Click on the gallery and wander through this fascinating land of the nomads.