Erdene Zuu monastery

The Erdene Zuu monastery ( _mn. Эрдэнэ Зуу) is probably the most ancient Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. It is in Övörkhangai Province, near the town of Kharkhorin and adjacent to the ancient city of Karakorum. It is part of the World Heritage Site entitled Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape.

The Erdene Zuu monastery was built in 1585 by Abtai Sain Khan, [cite web |url= http://www.culture.mn/mongolia.php?recordID=erdene-zuu-monastery|title=Erdene Zuu Monastery |accessdate=2007-03-12 |publisher= Culture Mongolia] upon the (second) introduction of Tibetan Buddhism into Mongolia. Stones from the ruins of , was probably envisioned, but never achieved [Niels Gutschow, Andreas Brandt, Die Baugeschichte der Klosteranlage von Erdeni Joo (Erdenezuu), in Claudius Müller (ed.), "Dschingis Khan und seine Erben", Bonn 2005, p.353] . The monastery temples' wall were painted, and the Chinese-style roof was covered with green tiles. The monastery was damaged by warfare in the 1680s, but was rebuilt in the 18th century and by 1872 had a full 62 temples inside.

In 1939 the Communist leader Khorloogiin Choibalsan had the monastery ruined, as part of a purge [http://www.ciaonet.org/atlas/countries/mn_data_loc.html#a6 ] that obliterated hundreds of monasteries in Mongolia and killed over ten thousand monks. [cite news |title=Dalai Lama's visit shines spotlight on Mongolia's explosion of faiths |url=http://www.wwrn.org/article.php?idd=22521&sec=52&con=23 |publisher=USA Todays.com |date=2006-08-24 |accessdate=2007-03-12 ] [cite web | title =Terror Years | url = http://www.mongoliatoday.com/issue/6/terror.html | work = Issue 6 | publisher = Mongolia Today | accessdate = 2007-03-12 ] Three small temples and the external wall with the stupas remained; the temples became museums in 1947. They say that this part of the monastery was spared destruction on account of Joseph Stalin's pressure. One researcher claims that Stalin's pressure was connected to the short visit of US vice president Henry A. Wallace's delegation to Mongolia in 1944. [cite journal |url=http://www.globalbuddhism.org/4/kollmar-paulenz03.htm |title= Buddhism in Mongolia After 1990 |accessdate=2007-03-12 |last=Kollmar-Paulenz |first=Karénina |journal=Journal of Global Buddhism |year=2003 |volume=4 |pages=18–34 |issn=1527-6457 ]

Erdene Zuu was allowed to exist as a museum only; the only functioning monastery in Mongolia was Gandantegchinlen Khiid Monastery in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. However, after the fall of Communism in Mongolia in 1990, the monastery was turned over to the lamas and Erdene Zuu again became a place of worship. Today Erdene Zuu remains an active Buddhist monastery as well as a museum that is open to tourists.

On a hill outside the monastery sits a stone phallus. The phallus is said to retain the sexual impulses of the monks and ensure their good behavior. [cite web |url=http://www.legendtour.ru/eng/mongolia/kharakhorum.shtml |title=Kharakhorum (Karakorum) |accessdate=2007-03-12 |work=Sights of Interest in Mongolia |publisher=Legend Tour ]

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.erdenezuu.mn/ Official website]
* [http://www.theglobalguy.com/mongolia/erdene-zuu-monastery/ Article] with pictures
* [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9044690/Karakorum Encyclopedia Britannica article] on Karakorum and Erdene Zuu.
* [http://www.culture.mn/images.php?recordID=erdene-zuu-monastery Photo collection] at Culture Mongolia
*A few [http://danny.oz.au/travel/mongolia/erdene-zuu.html pictures]
* [http://www.tibetan-museum-society.org/java/arts-culture-The-Life-of-Zanabazar-chapter2.jsp Excerpt] from article "The Life of Zanabazar"; discusses the construction of Erdene Zuu