It was a center of religious learning, of art and a trading hub.
The inhabitants live by their cultivation and their cattle, for they have no trade.
Four of the five Yuan dynasty stupas sited on top of the northwest corner of the walls of Kharakhoto.
After this defeat, Khara-Khoto was abandoned and fell into ruins.
During its initial excavation, the expedition uncovered over 2,000 books, scrolls and manuscripts in the Tangut language.
The mosque at the southeast corner of Kharakhoto, circa 1914.
Photo:Aurel Stein/Wikimedia
Stacks of mud bricks for repair work outside the south wall of Kharakhoto.
Photo:BabelStone/Wikimedia
Photo:Fandorine1959/Wikimedia
