Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
14 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
15 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
16 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
17 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Manzushir Monastery

Manzushir Monastery

A hike outside of the town of Zuun Mod will take visitors to a monastery complex steeped in Mongolian history.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Added By
David Koppers
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The restored temple and museum.   François Philipp
The restored temple and museum.   François Philipp
View from the temple ruins to the valley below.   Yaan
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Not far from Ulaanbaatar, near the city's new airport, is the small town of Zuun Mod. This town is the aimag center of Tov, the country's central province and one of Mongolia's 21 aimags. While Zuun Mod itself does not have many attractions, a one-hour walk takes visitors to a historic monastery.

Manzushir was established in the 1700s and functioned as a Buddhist monastery for hundreds of years until the communist takeover of Mongolia. At that time, it fell victim to the Stalinist purges, resulting in the demolition of hundreds of monasteries and the deaths of many monks. 

Today, visitors can see the ruined shell of the main temple. Right next to it is the restored and refurbished temple that also houses a museum. The museum tells the sad story of the ruined temple but also provides hope.

Related Tags

Museums Ruins Monasteries

Know Before You Go

The hike to the complex is about one hour from Zuun Mod across hills and forests. An all-terrain vehicle can also take you all the way there.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Mongolia's Summer Danshig Festival

Desert skies, festivals, and wild horses in Mongolia.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

DavidK

Published

August 15, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Manzushir Monastery
Ulaanbaatar
Mongolia
47.764613, 106.992734

Nearby Places

Rock Art of Ikh Tengeriin Am

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

miles away

The Zaisan Memorial

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

miles away

Antonov An-24

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar

Mongolia

Places 12
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Rock Art of Ikh Tengeriin Am

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

miles away

The Zaisan Memorial

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

miles away

Antonov An-24

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar

Mongolia

Places 12
Stories 1

Related Places

  • One of the corridors.

    Zacatecas, Mexico

    Rafael Coronel Museum

    Mexico's largest collection of masks is found in the ruins of an abandoned convent.

  • Greifswald, Germany

    Eldena Abbey

    These crumbling monastery ruins inspired a master of German Romanticism.

  • Piles of Goryeo stone tiles excavated from the site.

    Gyeongju, South Korea

    Hwangnyonsa Temple Site

    Only the stone foundations remain of one of the greatest Buddhist temples in early East Asian history.

  • Rievaulx, England

    Rievaulx Abbey

    This 11th-century Cistercian abbey was once seized by Henry VIII.

  • Ore cars.  Each held about a ton of rock, and a worker (“mucker”) was expected to fill about 16 in a shift.

    Leeds, Utah

    Silver Reef

    A mining camp built around an unexpected occurrence of silver.

  • Entrance to Mysterium Fidei Museum

    Valletta, Malta

    Mysterium Fidei

    After 400 years of being closed to the public, this monastery's underground tunnels and secret garden are now a museum.

  • Zsámbék, Hungary

    Premontre Monastery Church of Zsámbék

    The remains of a 13th-century Romanesque church lie abandoned on a hillside.

  • Looking through the remains of the Priory church

    Durham, England

    Finchale Priory

    The former "holiday home" for monks at the Durham Cathedral.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.