The death of Genghis Khan is shrouded in secrecy.
But the manner of his death is unknown.
It is reasonable to believe that he died of injuries sustained during the battle.
That particular story, some Mongol scholars believe, was created by the Khans enemies to vilify him.
Burkhan Khaldun holds another significance in the life of Genghis Khan.
He pledged at that time to honor the mountain from then on with sacrifices and prayer every morning.
Nothing marks the placeno mausoleum, no temple, no tombstone.
Nobody knows where Genghis Khan lies.
Mountains of western Mongolia.
After the burial, a thousand horses trampled the area repeatedly to obscure the location of the grave.
The knowledge of the location of the grave was not something that was forgotten over the centuries.
The punishment for trespassing was death.
TheDarkhadsand their descendants dutifully carried out their assignment long after the Mongol Empire had collapsed.
The Soviets declared the land a Highly Restricted Area and cordoned off 10,400 square-kilometers of surrounding land.
A family gers in late afternoon sun.
With the site now largely off-limits, some researchers have turned to satellite imagery.
This is a needle in a haystack problem where the appearance of the needle is unknown, Lin said.
A field team explored these locations and positively identified fifty five sites to be archaeologically and culturally significant.
None of these, however, are the tomb of the Great Khan.
The elusive tomb continue to attract archeologists.
Some have started using drones for a closer look at the landscape without having to trod the sacred territory.
The fascination for Genghis Khans grave is something Mongolians do not share with foreigners.
Leading image of Genghis Khans statue byAri V / Shutterstock.com
Photo credit:Mikhaylov Ilya/Shutterstock.com
