Background

I've been fascinated with the Mongol Empire for six years, and now I'm about to set off on a journey in search of whatever remains of that long-ago, distant empire.

The Mongols conquered and ruled most of the known world, beginning in 1206 with Chinggis Khan, better known in the West as Genghis Khan. By the time his grandson Khubilai (Kubla) Khan died in 1292, the Mongols ruled the largest contiguous empire in world history, stretching from Korea to the Black Sea, including China, Central Asia, Persia, and Russia. When Marco Polo arrived in Beijing, then known as Cambaluc, in 1275, Khubilai Khan was the most powerful man in the world. The Mongols ruled China and Persia for 100 years, and they held sway over Russia for 250 years. Yet history has been written by the people they conquered, so most of us think of them as ruthless barbarians. Originally a nomadic people, they left few traces of their vast empire.

From July 17 to 31, 2007, I will be traveling, with my friend Jeanne, to Inner and Outer Mongolia to scout out the few places where we can see evidence of their lost empire. We will visit Xanadu, Cambaluc, Karakorum, and the Chinggis Khan Memorial. Come along with us on our journey of adventure.