The Mysterious Death and Burial of Genghis Khan

The tomb of Genghis Khan was built according to Mongol tradition on flat land without a gravestone, without a mound of earth, and without a tomb building.

Photo by Snowscat on Unsplash

In some historical literature, we read that Genghis Khan died on August 18, 1227. He died in the presence of two of his sons, Ogodei and Tolui, his second wife Yesui, members of the royal family, and a childhood friend of Genghis Khan, Bogorchu. The man, whose real name was Temujin, died while besieging the kingdoms of Chunghing and Shisha. However, before the conquest was complete, Genghis Khan passed away. But before he died, he asked that his death be kept secret until Chunghing and Shisha were fully conquered.

Ogodei ordered the Khitan, Uigur, and Persian experts in burial to preserve his father’s body. At that time, the Khitan already had the expertise to embalm the dead. Because of the hot weather, Ogodei asked for his father to be preserved immediately and requested that a gold coffin and a gold carriage be prepared for the preparation of bringing the corpse back to his homeland. And when the body was brought back, everyone who accompanied him remained silent.

Along the way, all the people they met, both men and women of all ages, were killed to keep the secret of Genghis Khan’s death and the location of his burial. A strange incident occurred when the funeral carriage arrived at Mount Muna, the wheels got stuck in the mud and wouldn’t move. A diviner was asked to find out, and the suggestion came “the soul of Genghis Khan wants to be buried here.”

However, for the descendants of Genghis Khan and other Mongols, his body had to be buried on the Mongolian plateau. Ogodei considered the diviner’s opinion, and in the end, at the site where the carriage was stuck, his underwear, shoes, and carpet from Genghis Khan’s tent were buried. Later, Genghis Khan’s descendants built eight chomchogs (white yurts for worship) in the area.

Upon arrival on the Mongolian plateau, Genghis Khan’s body was taken to Mount Burkan, a place considered sacred by the Mongols. It was once a location where Temujin played in his childhood. To keep the location of the burial secret, only a few people were allowed…