Shankh Khiid and other smaller monasteries

Shankh Khiid and Erdene Zuu are the only monasteries which survived the great purge of 1937. Shankh is renowned for its connections with the great Zanabazar (he was mongolia’s greatest sculptor and a political leader) and is said to have once housed Chinggis Khaan’s black military banner. it supposedly had more than 1,500 monks at one time.

the entrance gate.



details of the paintings on the entrance gate. the white old men is very typical for religious dances, performed with tsam masks.





the main temple.



a side temple, with gers in the background.





details of the painted wooden decorations.



the main temple from a different perspective.



paintings on one of the temples' doors, again with the white old man.



this was another former monastery (somewhere in central mongolia, on our way from UB to the Gobi), though it doesn't seem to be used anymore nowadays, at least not much, judging from the barricated and closed doors.





very typical are also the many stupas you can find both on monasteries' grounds, but also outside of them.