Bilge Khan Complex

The Bilge Khan Complex is located in Tsaidam Brigade, Khashaat soum, Arkhangai Province, about 36 kilometers southwest of Ugii Lake and 47 kilometers north of Kharkhorin. This site has been studied for over a century and is known by various names, including the "Khoshoo Tsaidam Monument" and the "Orkhon Inscriptions." Bilge Khan, the last ruler of the Second Turkic Khaganate, ruled for 19 years, while his brother, Kül Tegin, was a famous military commander who died in 731 CE. In 732, Bilge Khan commissioned a commemorative complex for his brother. The monument contains 68 lines of inscriptions carved in runic script, including the Ashina clan symbol of a mountain goat.

Bilge Khan's tomb is located about 1 kilometer south of Kül Tegin's memorial. He passed away on November 23, 734 CE, and a memorial temple and stele were erected for him in 735. The inscriptions were carved by his nephew Yollug Tegin over a 34-day period. The monument is 345 cm high, 174 cm wide, and 75 cm thick. Around 2,000 artifacts, including pottery, iron tools, and decorative items, were found in the area, making it an important archaeological site. Despite being damaged over time, these sites were recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1996. Mongolia placed the 20.8-square-kilometer area under state protection in 1961.