Turtle Statue from Karakorum, Mongolia, c.1235-1260 CE: this statue is one of the few remaining features from the city of Karakorum, which served as the capital of the Mongol Empire
This statue is nearly 800 years old, and it still decorates the site where the city of Karakorum once stood. It originally formed the base of an inscribed stele, but the pillar was lost or destroyed long ago, leaving only the turtle-shaped figure behind.
The turtle's neck is wrapped in khadags (also known as khatas) which are ceremonial scarves that are primarily used by Buddhist communities in Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. The scarves are often placed atop shrines and other sacred sites as an expression of reverence and respect.
Above: the turtle statue adorned with blue khadags
In Mongolia, this custom is also infused with elements of Tengrism, which is a shamanic religion that originated in the Eurasian steppes. Mongolian khadags often have a bright blue appearance that symbolizes the divine and eternal nature of the sky god, Tengeri, but they can also be produced in shades of green, gold, red, and white.
Above: the same statue with several blue and white scarves tied around its neck
The city of Karakorum was founded by Genghis Khan in 1220 CE. It was initially established as a base for the Mongol invasion of China, but the city was transformed into the first capital of the Mongol Empire in 1235 CE. Strategically located along the Silk Road, it quickly became a thriving center for trade and cultural exchange, attracting merchants of many different faiths and nationalities.
Medieval sources note that the city displayed an unusual degree of diversity and religious tolerance (at least by Medieval standards). It contained 12 different temples that were devoted to pagan and shamanic traditions, along with two mosques, a church, and at least one Buddhist temple.
Above: these photos show a scale model of Medieval Karakorum, with the central palace depicted at the top and part of the surrounding city depicted on the bottom
As this article describes:
The city might have been compact, but it was cosmopolitan, with residents including Mongols, Steppe tribes, Han Chinese, Persians, Armenians, and captives from Europe, including a master goldsmith from Paris named William Buchier, a woman from Metz, one Paquette, and an Englishman known only as Basil. Scribes and translators from diverse Asian nations also worked in the bureaucracy, and there were official representatives from various foreign courts, such as the Sultanates of Rum and India.
This diversity was reflected in the various religions that were practised there and, in time, the construction of many fine stone buildings by followers of Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity.
Above: a Mongolian shaman sitting next to the turtle-shaped statue, with an assortment of ceremonial objects depicted on top of the turtle's back
The city's prosperous days were short-lived, however. The Mongol capital was moved to Xanadu in 1263, and then to Khanbaliq (modern-day Beijing) in 1267, under the leadership of Kublai Khan. Karakorum lost most of its power, authority, and leadership in the process. Without the resources and support that it had previously received from the leaders of the Mongol Empire, the city was left in a very vulnerable position, and the population rapidly dwindled. Within just a few decades, Karakorum was almost entirely abandoned.
There were several attempts to revive the city in the years that followed, but any hope of restoring Karakorum to its former glory finally vanished in 1380, when the entire city was razed to the ground by Ming Dynasty troops.
In 1586, the Erdene Zuu Buddhist monastery was built at the site where Karakorum once stood, and ruins from the Medieval city were used as building materials during the construction of the monastery. Almost all of the original structures from Karakorum were dismantled, destroyed, or repurposed in the process.
Above: the Erdene Zuu monastery, which is now the oldest surviving monastery in Mongolia
Four turtle-shaped statues are still visible at Karakorum. These statues mark the boundaries of the Medieval city, and they likely represent the mythological "dragon-turtle" known as Bixi, whose image is often associated with strength, longevity, and good fortune. An inscribed stele was mounted onto the back of each turtle, but most of those pillars are now damaged or missing.
Above: two of the other stone turtles from Karakorum
These turtle-shaped statues are some of the only visible features from the city of Karakorum, and they often remind me of the poem Ozymandias by Horace Smith (not the version by Percy Bysshe Shelley):
The University of Washington: Karakorum: Capital of the Mongol Empire
Cambridge University Press: The Cosmopolitanism of Karakorum
Thought Co: Genghis Khan's Capital City
Cambridge University Press: Mapping Karakorum, Capital of the Mongol Empire
Culture Mongolia: Karakorum
Dark Atlas: The Vanished Capital of the Largest Land Empire in History
Mongolianz: Khadag Meaning
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