The Province or Aimag of Bayan-Olgii. Facts and tips
 | Area - 45 800 sq. km Capital - Olgii, Somons - 14, Population - 100,000.. Bayan-Ulgii aimag įkurtas 1940. |
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The Bayan-Ulgii is called "the Roof of the World", is a far-off land of high mountains (the Mongol Altai - Tavan Bogd mountains with highest in Mongolia 4,373 m peak), torrents and glaciers.
The province is inhabited by Kazakh, a minority who has a different culture from the Mongols, herding yaks and goats and hunting with trained eagles. Also here lives Khalkh. Dorvod, Uriankhai (about 17 percent), Tuva, and Khoshuud. Unlike the rest of Mongolia, which is dominated by the Khalkh Mongols about 80% of Bayan-Olgii's population are Kazakh, almost all of them Muslim, Uriankhai (about 17 percent). The remaining 3% are mostly obscure minority groups. Many people in the aimag speak Kazakh, so if you have spent time perfecting some conversational Mongolian, you may be devastated because many Kazakhs won't be able to understand you. There is bound to be someone nearby, however, who speaks Mongolian and, possibly English or Russian, but certainly nothing else.
Bayan-Ulgii aimag is situated in the extreme West of Mongolia, on the West and North it borders with the Russian Federation and on the South-West with the People's Republic of China. The Nairamdal peak 14,350 feet (4374 m) of the Altai Tavan Bogd mountain is the highest point, the Kobdo-Gol, the biggest river (516 km in length) in the country flows through the territory of the aimag. There are many fresh water lakes in Bayan-Ulgii. The Tolbo, the Khurgan, the Khoton and the Dayan lakes are the largest. This aimag is well-known for Ak-su, Chigertei and other springs.
Every part of Bayan-Ulgii aimag is suitable for pasture.10 percent of the area is forest, consisting mainly of larches. Geological surveys have proved that this territory contains fossils, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, oil and building material resources. In 1998, Bayan-Ulgii aimag harvested over 3.000 tons of grain, 600 tons of forage, and 21.452 tons of potatoes and vegetables. The coal mine of Bayan-Ulgii aimag produces 404.000 tons of coal.
Rich flora of Bayan-Ulgii includes kobresia, sedge in the mountain plateau, gooseberry and ribes altissimum, also wild cherry, and sea bucks can be found along the banks of streams and rivers. There are wild sheep, ibex, and snow leopards in the Altai high mountain range and marmots, foxes inhabit the lower slopes of mountains. There are bears, lynxes, and squirrels in the forests.
OLGII
Olgii town is one of the most unique Aimags centers in Mongolia. You can certainly feel that you are in a Muslim-influenced Central Asian region, rather than in Mongolia: many places have squat toilets; in the city, there are signs in Arabic and Kazakh Cyrillic; the market, which is called a bazar rather than the Mongolian zakh. In Olgii is worth to visit the provincial museum, mosque, medrese and of course market. Population about 30 000. Elevation 1710m.
GETING THERE
By car - from Russia (border crossing point Tashanta /Tsagan-Nuur (Saturday-Sunday closed), 85 km from Olgii), or from Ulaanbaatar (1698 km, 2-3 days). By plane - Mongolian airlines (MIAT) - three flights per week from Ulanbaatar. Infamous SCAT Air - one flights per week from Alma-Aty. It seems from 2013 no flights.
COMMUNICATION
Olgii Central Post Office provides the following services: local and long distance phone calls (24 hours), telegraph, fax and the internet. Here also operates few Internet cafes. In town is GSM connection operated by Mobicom.
MONGOL ALTAI NURUU SPECIAL PROTECTED AREA OFFICE
Issue permits for visiting the protected areas. A small information center. Several staff speaks English and Russian. Souvenirs shop.
THE MARKET
The good place to buy food, souvenirs or just take a walk. In summer there is a large vegetable market. Also sells the odd kebab (shashlyk) and is stocked with goods from Kazakhstan. Best place to hire a car for travel. Inscriptions behind car glass with the place name does not necessarily means that the car will go just there. Negotiation needed. Here you can exchange your currency faster than in banks.
AIRPORT
5 km from town center. Tickets can be purchased in the MIAT (Mongolian Airlines) office.
THEATRE
Traditional Kazakh music and dancing, usually during the summer.
ENTERTAINMENT
The two-story club. Local DJ's playing Mongolian and foreign music. Very loudly and crowded
MOSQUE
And madrasah (Islamic place of learning) is worth a quick look, especially on Friday at lunch time when weekly prayers are held, though you may not be allowed inside. The mosque holds the offices of the Islamic Centre of Mongolia. Its unusual angle is due to its orientation to Mecca.Built in 1992 with the help of the United Arab Emirates. Tourists are allowed inside, but requires appropriate dress.
MUSEUM
Gives an excellent of overview of Kazakh culture and of the geography of Bayan-Olgii. The 2nd floor is devoted to history, and the 3rd floor has some interesting displays; entry costs T 1000. Souvenirs shop. Pre-order available English, French or Russian speaking guides.
PROTECTED AREAS
Altai Tavanbogd National Park
(636,161 hectares). Takes in Tavanbogd Uul, Mongolia's highest mountains, and the stunning lakes of the Khoton, the Khurgan and the Dayan. Fauna includes argali sheep, ibex, maral (Asiatic red deer), stone marten, deer, elk, Altai snowcock and eagles.
Khokh Serkh Strictly Protected Area
(14,080 hectares). This new park, created in 2000, has two sections, one around Ikh-Turgen-Uul mountains range, the other further east.
Develiin Aral Natural Reserve
(10,300 hectares). A remarkable habitat around Develiin Island in the Losan Khooloi and the Kobdo-Gol rivers. Established in 2000, it is home to pheasants, boars and beavers.
Tsambagarav Uul National Park
(110,960 hectares). Established in 2000 to protect glaciers and the snow leopard habitat borders on Khovd.
PLACES TO VISIT
ALTAI TAVANBOGD NATIONAL PARK
This stunningly beautiful park stretches south from Tavanbogd Uul and includes the three stunning lakes of Khoton Nuur, Khurgan Nuur and Dayan Nuur. It's a remote area, divided from China by the high wall of snowcapped peaks, and known to local Kazakhs as the Syrgali region.
All three lakes are the source of the Kobdo-Gol, which eventually flows into Khar-Us-Nuur in Khovd aimag. It's possible to make rafting trips down rivers the Kobdo-Gol from the lake Khurgan-Nuur or the Godon-Gol from the lake Dayan-Nuur
There are many archeological sites in the region. As the main road through the region swings towards the southern shore of Khurgan Nuur you can see a stupa-like construction and several burial sites. Nearby is a balbal (Turkic stone statue) and the remains of a processional pathway. Further along the road is a wooden Kazakh mosque, with a ger-shaped roof.
Further north-west, along the south-western shore of Khoton Nuur, the road deteriorates and there are several rivers to cross as they flow into the lake. North-west of Khoton Nuur the mountains close in and there's some fine trekking possibilities.
TSAGAN-NUUR VILLAGE
Yet another place called Tsagaanuur (White Lake); the town is less famous for its lake (there are several bigger and nicer ones nearby) than as the starting point for travel by road into Russia.
TSAST-UUL MOUNTAINS
The two somons (districts) of Altantsogts and Bayan-nuur are about 50km south-east of Olgii, on the border with Khovd aimag. They are full of lush valleys with friendly Kazakh and Mongol nomads in summer, dozens of tiny unmapped lakes and soaring, permanently snowcapped peaks, such as Tsast Uul (4193m).
THE LAKE TOLBO-NUUR
Tolbo Nuur (Frog Lake) is about 50km south of Olgii, on the main road between Olgii and Khovd city, so it's an easy day trip or stopover. The saltwater lake is high (2080m), expansive and eerie, but a bit disappointing because the shoreline is treeless. There are a few gers around the lake, and the water is clean enough for swimming if you don't mind icy temperatures. If you want to see, and camp at, some better lakes, keep traveling on to Uvs aimag.
THE LAKES AND RIVERS
The sources of most the rivers of the province are in the Altai mountain glaciers. hose rivers feeds the more than 250 lakes. Four of the biggest lakes is the Achit-Nuur, The Khoton-Nuur, the Khurgan-Nuur and the Dayan-Nuur. Those lakes, except Achit-Nuur. is in Altai Tavanbogd National Park. The deepest is the lake Khoton-Nuur (average depth 28 m.), the largest is the lake Dayan Nuur (surface area 5300 hectares). The aforementioned is great lakes for fishing. The bigest rivers is the Kobdo-Gol and the Tsagan-Gol. The Kobdo-Gol outflows from the lake Khurgan-Nuur. Lenght of the river 516 km. The river inflows into the lake Khar-Us-Nuur. The source of the river Tsgan-Gol is in glaciers of the Tavanbogd mountains. Lenght of the river is 80 km. The river inflows into the river Kpbdo-Gol near Tsengel village
MOUNTAINS
The Altai. The name originating from the Turkic word meaning gold.
Tavanbogd (Five Saints) mountain rises 4374m above the borders of three nations, and for this reason it is also known as Nairamdal (Friendship) Peak. If you sit on the summit, you can simultaneously be in Mongolia, China and Russia (though you won't need a visa for all three).
Tavanbogd is one of Mongolia's most spectacular peaks, of interest to professional climbers, and the only one in Bavan-Olgii to be permanently covered with large glaciers (including the 19km long Potanii Glacier, the longest in Mongolia). It's fairly dangerous, and to climb it you need to be with an experienced group properly equipped with ice axes, crampons and ropes. Don't even consider attempting it solo. The best time to climb is August and September, after the worst of the summer rains.The massif is made up of five peaks (the five saints) - Khuiten, Naran, Olgii, Buraed and Nairamdal - the highest of which is Khuiten (meaning "cold") at 4374m.
HISTORIC SITES
The aimag has a rich collection of archaeological sites, with many balbal (Turkic stone figures believed to be grave makers), deer stones, kurgans (burial mounds) and a remarkable collection of 10,000 petroglyphs near the Russian border at Tsagaan-Sala (also known as Baga-Oigor), also Shiveet-Khairhan at the lake Khoton-Nuur. If you are particularly interested in these remote and obscure sites contact the Mongol Altai Nuruu Special Protected Area office in Olgii.
As the main road through the region swings towards the southern shore of Khurgan Nuur you can see a stupa-like construction and several burial sites. Nearby is a balbal (Turkic stone statue) and the remains of a processional pathway. Further along the road is a wooden Kazakh mosque, with a ger-shaped roof.
TREKKING
The Province tu travel lovers offers many unique destinations in the outermost, inviolate areas. Most people hike or ride horses, though camels and mountain bikes are sometimes used. Horses and camels can be rented through either the tour companies or a local family.
FESTIVALS
The most famous is Eagle Hunting festival or Golden Eagle festival. The festival usually is held during the first weekend in October, run by the Mongolian Eagle Hunter's Association. The festival incorporates an opening ceremony, parade, cultural exhibitions, demonstrations and handcrafts in the centre of town of Olgii followed by sporting activities and competitions 4 km north towards the mountains. Dressed in eagle hunting clothes and mounted on groomed decorated horses, the entrants compete for the awards of Best Eagle at Hunting Prey and Best Eagle at Locating Its Owner from a Distance, Best Turned Out Eagle and Owner. Other sporting activities is archery, horse racing, and goatskin tug of war on horseback.
The Altai Kazakh Eagle Festival is a smaller festival held each year near Sagsai village in the last week of September. It follows much the same pattern as the larger Golden Eagle Festival, with about 40 eagle hunters participating. This newer festival looks organized for tourists