Dinosaur Museum - Ulaanbaatar Mongolia

 

The Central Dinosaur Museum of Mongolia is about 15 minutes walk from Sükhbaatar square. The dinosaur fossils found in the Gobi desert are kept here.

Cost $NZ450 a ticket, and another $NZ5 for your camera pass.  This is common in Mongolia.

Walk up the stairs to a huge platform that hold some amazing fossils.

Tarbosaurus baatar. 10 - 12 m long, 2-3 ton.

Oviraptor fossils.  Can you see the feather imprints? These small theropod dinosaurs were 1.5m -2m long.

Dinosaur teeth! Protoceratops are the most abundant dinosaur in Mongolia.

Saurolophus lived about 70 million years ago. 

Protoceratops lived about 85 million years ago.

Dinosaur eggs!

Omnivorus skeletons. Late cretaceous period 90 million years ago.  Grew up to 8m

The centrepiece of the museum is the 4m-tall, 3-tonne, flesh-eating Tarbosaurus bataar (a cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex).

Nomingia Oviraptor

Nomingia Oviraptor head and claws

Along the walls are fascinating dinosaur specimens. Here is an Iguanodon.

Another Protoceratops skeleton.Amazing details.

Allosaurus. The jaw is different shape to Tarbosaurus.

Dinosaur egg nests

Tarbosaurus baatar

Ankylosaurus fossil. Look at that tail lump!

Saurolophus, or duckbill dinosaur

Ankylosaurus skull and full sized model

In the adjacent room, there are more fossils, and bones.

Fossilised fish

Fossilised turtles.

Mammoth tusk

Bottom view of a Mammoth's tooth

Mammoth jawbone with teeth

In the next section of the museum, are rocks and crystals. On the walls are birds, insects, and butterflies. The last section has stuffed animals of Mongolia.

Ulaanbaatar - Sükhbaatar Square

About 5 minutes walk from the hotel is Sükhbaatar Square. On the way we passed the National Drama Theatre, and then strolled through the Chinggis Khan garden. 

The blue building in the background is the Blue Sky Tower Hotel, and a really useful landmark.

In July 1921 in the centre of Ulaanbaatar, Damdin Sükhbaatar (the ‘hero of the revolution’) declared Mongolia’s final independence from China. A square later built on the spot now bears his name and features at its centre a bronze statue of the revolutionary astride his horse.

We saw wedding groups getting their photos taken in the square. Peaceful anti-communism protests were held here in 1990, eventually ushering in the era of democracy. Today, the square is used for rallies, ceremonies, rock concerts and festivals. Last week the square held the national basketball championships. It's a relaxed place.

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The enormous marble construction at the north end was completed in 2006 in time for the 800th anniversary of Chinggis Khaan’s coronation. Behind the Chinggis monument stands Parliament House, which is commonly known as Government House. An inner courtyard of the building holds a large ceremonial ger used for hosting visiting dignitaries.

At its centre is a seated bronze Chinggis Khaan statue. He is flanked by Ögedei (on the west) and Kublai (east). Two famed Mongol soldiers (Boruchu and Mukhlai) guard the entrance to the monument.   

To the east of the square is the 1970s Soviet-style Cultural Palace, a useful landmark containing the Mongolian National Modern Art Galleryand several other cultural institutions. At the southeast corner of the square, the salmon-pinkish building is the State Opera & Ballet Theatre

The fence around the Parliamentary buildings and garden. The symbol of Mongolia is on each section of gate.

The new Chinggis Khan museum.  Not open yet, should be in October 2022.

Walking to the Dinosaur museum, the pedestrian path goes in the middle of the road, and it's fenced and has trees.  Vehicles go one way on the let and right.  Feels very safe to walk. There is art work and shelters along the way.  I guess they need those in the winter months.

Freedom square and the dinosaur museum.  Took about 15 minutes walk from Sükhbaatar Square.

Mongolia Exploring and Cycling Itinerary

Our itinerary for the next 12 days. The first few days are in Ulaanbaatar, getting used to the altitude, and exploring the city.

 

Day 1. Exploring the city Ulaanbaatar, and the Dinosaur museum.

Day 2. Mountain biking near Ulaanbaatar short ride, and then a temple museum Choijin Lama. This was sensory overload.

Day 3. Mountain bike 75 km loop through the ger villages in Ulaanbaatar.

Day 4. Explore by foot, Gandantegchinlen Monastery, the Centre of Shaman eternal Heavenly Sophistication, and the National Museum of Mongolia.

Day 5 - Drive to Lake Ugii and also visit a traditional Mongolian wedding celebration in Dashinchlen. We arrived at Ugii Lake, late in the afternoon.  A short 12 km ride to explore the area.

Days 6 - 10 Cycle tour exploring 

Day 6 Ugii Lake to Tsenkher Hot Springs. It's 109km and will take all day. River crossings and vast landscapes.  Tsenkher Hot Springs are geothermal hot springs surrounded by forest.

Day 7. Today our adventure takes over the mountain ranges to the Orkhon valley A distance of 80 kms.

Day 8. First we visit a waterfall and then cycle 100kms in the Orkhon valley. A traditional Mongolian ger camp in the middle of nowhere is our overnight stop. 

Day 9. A 90km ride through the Övörkhangai-province, over a 2,000m high hill, visit with nomads and then a 50km drive to Khugnu Khan Nature Reserve

Day 10. A bit of everything, thunderstorms, ambulance ride, and hail exploring the Khugnu Khan Nature Reserve.

Day 11. Back in Ulaanbaatar, I even found a quilt shop

Day 12. Farewell Mongolia and start the long journey home via Seoul Korea, Sydney Australia, and Auckland New Zealand.