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
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
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 »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
12 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
16 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
23 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
23 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.