Genghis Khan’s burial site has been a topic of intrigue for historians and archaeologists for centuries, and despite numerous investigations, its exact location remains a mystery. It is widely believed that his tomb is situated near the sacred Burkhan Khaldun mountain in the Khentii Mountains of Mongolia. The final resting place of the Mongol emperor has been shrouded in secrecy, with various theories and legends offering possible explanations for its concealment.
One prominent structure in modern-day Inner Mongolia is the Genghis Khan Mausoleum, which is dedicated to the great leader. However, this is not where Genghis Khan is buried, according to the Munkhchuluun family who resides there. Historical records reveal that Genghis Khan himself requested that his burial site be kept anonymous, and it is believed that his body was brought back to Mongolia after his death in 1227.
The “Secret History of the Mongols,” a key source of information on Genghis Khan’s life, mentions his death but does not offer any details about his burial. Marco Polo, writing about the Mongols in the late 13th century, also claimed that even the Mongols of his time did not know where Genghis Khan’s tomb was located. According to Polo’s writings, Mongol leaders were typically buried on a mountain named Altai, but the precise location was kept hidden. Another well-known tale recounts how 2,000 slaves, tasked with taking Genghis Khan’s body to its final resting place, were executed to keep the location secret. A group of soldiers was dispatched to prevent anyone from uncovering the tomb’s location, and these soldiers were reportedly killed in turn. This chain of death, in the legend, was intended to ensure the secrecy of the tomb’s whereabouts.
Other versions of the story add more layers to the mystery. Some folklore suggests that a river was rerouted over the grave to prevent discovery, while others claim that the site was trampled by numerous horses and covered with trees to obscure it further. In a variation of this legend, the grave was said to be covered by permafrost, which helped conceal it. There are even accounts from the 17th century claiming that Genghis Khan’s coffin might have been empty when it was transported back to Mongolia, and that only his personal belongings like his boots and tent were placed in the mausoleum at Ordos.
The legend of a baby camel buried with the Khan is another tale, which surfaced 30 years after his death. It is said that the camel’s mother returned to mourn at the grave, guiding the Khan’s family to the tomb when needed. This idea was even mentioned by the Japanese archaeologist Shinpei Kato, who pointed to Chinese records that described this event.
During the Yuan dynasty, the burial site of Genghis Khan and other Mongol emperors was said to be located in a region referred to as Qinian Valley. However, no concrete information about its exact location exists, and the valley is mentioned only in passing in Chinese records. The area around Genghis Khan’s tomb, known as Ikh Khorig (The Great Taboo), became a sacred zone, where entry was restricted to only the royal family. This area covered a vast 240-square-kilometre stretch and was heavily guarded by the Mongols, with trespassing punishable by death. Even during the Soviet era, access to the region was restricted due to fears of it becoming a site of Mongol nationalistic sentiment or religious pilgrimage.
One aspect of the Ikh Khorig is that it was traditionally protected by the Uriankhai tribe called the Darkhad, who were exempted from taxes and military service in exchange for guarding the area. This contradicts another popular folklore account that soldiers who had witnessed the Khan’s funeral were executed to protect the secret of the tomb’s location.
Several expeditions have been carried out in search of Genghis Khan’s tomb. A 1920 expedition led by French diplomat Saint-John Perse, alongside Chinese military figures, explored Mongolia in search of clues to his burial site. More recent investigations include a 2001 joint American-Mongolian expedition, which uncovered a walled burial ground near Batshireet, close to the Onon River in the Khentii Mountains. This area is not far from where Genghis Khan was born and proclaimed his rule, and it contained multiple tombs, though not directly attributed to the Khan himself.
Further clues were found in 2004 when the palace of Genghis Khan was discovered east of Ulan Bator, leading to speculation that his tomb could be nearby. Another expedition led by Maury Kravitz explored the site near the confluence of the Kherlen River and the “Bruchi” River, a location that Genghis Khan himself had favored after a battle. Kravitz found a toponym related to “Bruchi,” which has since sparked further excavations.
In 2015, Dr. Albert Yu-Min Lin from the University of California initiated a project involving the public in identifying potential burial sites from space imagery. This effort resulted in a paper claiming to have identified 55 possible burial sites of Genghis Khan.
Additionally, expeditions led by archaeologists Pierre-Henri Giscard and Raphaël Hautefort between 2015 and 2016 explored the Khentii mountains and found a tumulus, or burial mound, atop the Burkhan Khaldun mountain, a sacred location for Genghis Khan. The mound, 250 meters long, is believed to be of human origin and possibly related to imperial burial practices. The area remains off-limits to scientific excavations due to its sacred status.
Genghis Khan’s burial site continues to be a subject of fascination and intrigue, blending history with legend. While the tomb remains hidden, its mystery only adds to the enduring legacy of the Mongol emperor, whose empire once spanned vast regions of the world.
In popular culture, Genghis Khan’s tomb has been a source of inspiration, such as in the 1932 film The Mask of Fu Manchu, where the discovery of his tomb plays a crucial role in the plot.