Memory of the World Heritage, Mongolia

Discover the significant cultural legacies officially recognized and registered by UNESCO in Memory of the World, highlighting Mongolia's rich documentary heritage.

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Duut Rock InscriptionMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

Duut Rock Inscription

Duutin Khad, also known as Duut Rock, is a beautiful natural rock formation with a black exterior and a white and gray interior. This rock is located in Delgerkhaan Soum, Central Province, and is famous for the poem inscribed on it by Tsogtu Taiji.

The inscription on the rock is so clear and vivid that it appears as if it is written in white chalk on a board. The inscription on the rock tells the story of Taiji's heart-wrenching experience.

Duut Rock InscriptionMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

On the twenty-first day of the first autumn in the year of the White Rooster 1621, Taiji rode his armored sled up Khangai Khan's northern mountain. When he looked towards the east, he was overcome with emotion and cried for his aunt who had been married off to a distant clan.

Taiji had already felt politically isolated, and Khaluut's departure made him feel even more alone. The seven stanzas of the "Duut Khad" inscription are a tribute to Khaluut's memory.

Duut Rock InscriptionMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

Taiji's poetic musings are philosophical and poignant. By expressing his deep sense of loss, Taiji has created a work of art that resonates with anyone who has experienced the pain of separation from a loved one.

Altan Tobchi - The golden summary of the principles of statecraft founded by ancient KhaansMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

Altan Tobchi

The golden summary of the principles of statecraft founded by ancient Khaans. It is a precious resource encompassing the history, legends, myths, and genres of ancient Mongolian literature from prehistoric periods to the 17th century.

Written by Giiushi Luvsandanzan, a 17th-century Mongolian polymath and translator, and his disciples, this treatise is typically called 'Lu Altan Tobchi'.

Altan Tobchi - The golden summary of the principles of statecraft founded by ancient KhaansMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

It's generally considered an original copy of the Secret History of the Mongols written in vertical Mongol script, and the work is unique in that it contains 233 out of the 282 paragraphs in the Secret History of the Mongols.

Not only verbatim but with additional detail in certain parts. It has significant historical information and facts about the history of the Mongolian state from Chinggis Khaan to Ligden Khaan (13th to 17th centuries).

Altan Tobchi - The golden summary of the principles of statecraft founded by ancient KhaansMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

Onkhodyn Jamiyan, the first director of the Institute of Sutra and Scripts, found out and brought the original pen copy that was kept by Taiji Damdin of Yonshoobu clan in Bayantiimen khoshuu of Khan Khentii Uulyn aimag in 1926.

Mongol Shunkhan (Vermilion) TanjurMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

Mongol Shunkhan (Vermilion) Tanjur

Tanjur is an extensive collection of over 3427 works and treatises on ten major and minor Buddhist sciences composed by ancient Indian and Tibetan scholars and Panditas. Mongolians started translating the Tanjur when Buddhism began to spread in Mongolia.

Mongol Shunkhan (Vermilion) TanjurMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

In the first half of 18th century, Changkya Rolpe Dorje, Shiregetii Khutugtu Luvsandambiinyam and 200 other translators worked on the translation of the Tanjur from Tibetan into Mongolian and printed 226 volumes in woodblock in Beijing between 1742 and 1749.

A complete Tanjur that was worshipped at the Shash-nyg Badruulagch Temple in Tsakharyn Siireg khoshuu of Khoshoi Qinwang Nayant, Jasagh of Sain Noyon Khan aimag of Khalkha Mongolia was brought and exalted at the Institute in 1925 by Giing Onkhodyn Jamiyan.

Mongol Shunkhan (Vermilion) TanjurMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

The director of the Institute of Sutra and Scripts after agreeing with Qinwang Nayant to safe-keep the sutra at the library of the Institute in 1924.

Stone Stele Monument for Mongol TanjurMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

Stone Stele Monument for Mongol Tanjur

The stone stele monument for the agreement on transferring the Mongol Shunkhan Tanjur for permanent custody of the Institute of Sutra and Scripts. Qinwang Nayant had requested to inscribe the Tanjur Agreement on the monument, which was stated in Provision #7 of the agreement.

Stone Stele Monument for Mongol Tanjur, From the collection of: Ministry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth
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Stone Stele Monument for Mongol Tanjur, From the collection of: Ministry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth
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O.Jamiyan, director of the Institute of Sutra and Scripts, assigned N.Dendev to accomplish this task. N.Dendev designed the stele monument in a style identical to the stele at Dambadarjaa monastery and started engraving the memorial in 1929, leaving the last few words unfinished.

Stone Stele Monument for Mongol TanjurMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

Later, in 1954, N.Dendev, aged 64 at that time, finished carving the incomplete 64 letters and his signature as instructed by the Mongolian Academy of Sciences. He started making the stele when he was 37, and it took him 27 years to finish engraving the stele inscription.

Kanjur Written in Nine JewelsMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

Kanjur Written in Nine Jewels

Kanjur (Kangyur), meaning ‘Translated words [of the Buddha]’ is the entire collection of texts regarded as ‘Buddha words’ compiled and translated into Tibetan.

Kanjur Written in Nine JewelsMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

The complete collection of Kanjur in Nine Jewels was crafted by writing the treatise in ink made of pigments of nine jewels on composite varnished paper dyed in black.

Kanjur Written in Nine JewelsMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

The Kanjur in Nine Jewels was worshipped at the Dashchoimpel Temple of Ikh Khiiree and handed over to the Mongolian Academy of Sciences library in 1937-1938.

Kanjur Written in Nine JewelsMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

This work is the only exceptionally invaluable artwork illustrated with exquisite images of Buddhist deities, offerings, and elaborate symbolic patterns and motifs crafted by dozens of prominent masters, artisans, and scholars of that time.

Tara Savioress GoddessesMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

Tara Savioress Goddesses

Praise to the White Tara and Green Tara (Savieress) Goddesses. This praise was written on a small piece of paper by Geshe S. Shagj (1886-1938) in the early 20th century.

Tara Savioress GoddessesMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

It was kept by Ts.Damdinsuren, a prominent Mongolian scholar for many years, was given a gift to the Central Library to establish the exhibition hall of rare and ancient books and sutras on October 24, 1980.

Written in Tibetan in a total of 79 lines in black and red ink in great density on a small piece of paper, it contains 62 stanzas in Tibetan or 250 lines of eulogy, 5718 letters, and 2510 dot marks.

Tara Savioress GoddessesMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

Wood printing blocks of the Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary titled a lexicon resource for the wiseMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary

Wood printing blocks of the Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary titled a lexicon resource for the wise. Wood printing blocks of a Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary of Buddhist terminologies were composed under the supervision of Changkya Rolpe Dorje.

It's titled initially dag yig mkhas pa i 'byung gnas in Tibetan and 'Mergedgarqu-yin orun' in Mongolian, i.e., The Land of Emerging of Erudites.

Wood printing blocks of the Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary titled a lexicon resource for the wiseMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

In 1924, when the People's Republic of Mongolia declared its independence and sovereignty in Asia, and the first printing house of Mongolia started issuing the first modern publications.

Wood printing blocks of the Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary titled a lexicon resource for the wiseMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

The wood printing blocks of the Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary titled 'A Lexicon Resource for the Wise’ was crafted at the Agha Monastic school of Buryatia in 1924 at the initiative of the Institute of Sutra and Scripts of Mongolian Academy of Sciences.

Wood printing blocks of the Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary titled a lexicon resource for the wiseMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

These wood printing blocks, therefore, became a testimony of the historical tradition of bookmaking not only among the Mongols but also in Asia.

Wood printing blocks of the Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary titled a lexicon resource for the wiseMinistry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth

It is a national documentary heritage of Mongolia, bearing institutional memory of the process of social and cultural development and reform in Mongolia.

UNESCO's "Memory of the World" program aims to safeguard and promote the world's documentary heritage for present and future generations. It recognizes documentary materials as essential components of human heritage.

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