Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area

Visit Guide to Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area

The Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area is a 12,270 km2 (4,740 sq mi)[1] government administered Strictly Protected Area in the Khentii aimag (province) in Eastern Mongolia. Strictly Protected Areas are regions of land designated by the Mongolian government as wildlife preservation areas. Herding and tourism are tightly controlled, and hunting and mining are prohibited. However, the budget for maintaining and protecting these areas is quite small.

Getting There

The Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area is located in northeast Mongolia, in the Khentii Mountains, and includes the sacred Burkhan Khaldun mountain.

What to Expect

Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area is a 2,000 square kilometres (4,600 sq mi) area established in 1992.

It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 4 July 2015 under the title “Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape.

History

The Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area includes the sacred Burkhan Khaldun mountain that is considered to be the birthplace of Genghis Khan, as well as one of the rumored locations of his tomb.

It had strong religious significance as a powerful landmark and is considered the most sacred mountain in Mongolia since it was designated as sacred by Genghis Khan.