Ulaanbaatar history

The capital city Ulaanbaatar is situated in the broad valley of the Tuul River among four pine, fir, and larch-covered mountains; Bogd Khan Mountain in the south, Bayanzurkh Mountain in the east, Chingeltei Mountain in the north, and Songino Khairkhan Mountain in the west.
Initially, the city was founded 300 km southwest of the current Ulaanbaatar location in 1939. As a nomadic country, the first capital was named “Urguu,” a word for big traditional dwelling ger. Indeed, they built this big ger for Mongolian first religious leader Zanabazar. Since then, the nomadic ger settlement moved 28 times between 1640 and 1855, including some short distance movements after settling the current day location in 1778. The city expanded with thousands of gers and temples between 1640 and 1778 and was named Ikh Khuree or Great Temple Settlement between 1640 and 1910. By the end of the 19th century, Ikh Khuree was the center of politics, economics, trade, and religion, inhabited by 15,000 to 20,000 people. There were no brick and stone temple constructions until 1837.