ULAANBAATAR

Ulaanbaatar is to mark its 360th anniversary of foundation on October 26, 1999. Its cornerstone was laid first nearby current Burd soum, Uvurhangai aimag, but the capital had changed its location more than twenty times prior to settling down in the present day site at the altitude of 1,351 metres above the sea level along the River Tuul trimmed by Bogd Khan Mountain in the south and surrounded by three other mountain ranges. Similar was the story with its name: Urgoo ( 1639-1706 ); Ih Huree (1706 - 1911); Niislel Huree ( 1911 - 1923 ); and finally Ulaanbaatar (since 1924). It is the home for the quarter of the nation’s population. The capital city is the hub of international and domestic flights, train service and long distance buses. As the cultural and academic centre of the nation, Ulaanbaatar is the seat of major art and culture establishments, museums, and educational institutions. Monasteries are an integral part of the city.