Deep in the GobiDesert, in the far western region of Inner Mongolia, lies the city of Khara Khoto, the “BlackCity.” Though its place in history was short-lived, it was once a major trade stop along the Silk Road. Now, the desert has reclaimed most of this city and buried it beneath the sands. Only rediscovered in the late 19th century, Khara Khoto turned out to be one of the most enlightening finds of modern times.
The BlackCity was first established in 1032 by the Tangut, or Chinese Western Xia kingdom. It began as a fortress city but eventually emerged as the capital of their empire. In 1226, the city would fall beneath the onslaught of the mighty Genghis Khan, who expanded it and maintained its status as a trade center for a while. When the Ming Dynasty came and seized it from the Mongols in 1372, they destroyed most of the city and left it abandoned. Khara Khoto would not be found again until the early 1900s, when a Russian explorer stumbled upon the site.
This city in the middle of nowhere still remains half-buried. The primary feature is more than a mile’s length of a 12-foot thick wall and its 30-foot tall ramparts, many areas of which you can walk to the top of using the sloping dunes. The half-destroyed city buildings lie within the encircling walls and, still not properly excavated, artifacts are scattered throughout the site.
What Khara Khoto is perhaps best known for is the huge repository of knowledge that was found locked away in one of the buried stupas. Hundreds of records, books and other documents were found at the site. There was even a dictionary written in the Tangut script. This is one of the best remaining examples of this long-gone culture, a true archaeological treasure.
Today, Khara Khoto is but one of many historical wonders within the borders of Mongolia. It also happens to be one that has generated many ghost stories, from spouts of flame rising into the sky at night to ghostly lights wandering the desert. If you plan on taking a trip to the BlackCity, make sure to pack for the desert and don’t miss the opportunity to camp out under the stars if you get the chance.
Khara Khoto photo courtesy of Fandorine1959
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