Genghis Khan was the founder and ruler of the Mongol Empire, one of the largest empires in history. This empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Ukraine and helped develop the Silk Road. Genghis Khan also helped establish systems such as reliable postal service, paper money, religious freedom, and diplomatic immunity. He died in 1227, and his heirs to his empire continued to conquer even more lands.
You might think that monuments and legendary structures could be erected for the tomb of such an enormous figure. However, little is known about the death of Genghis Khan and almost no information about the location of his burial.
How did Genghis Khan die; where is his grave?
Of course, there are many different stories about his death. There are many different stories, some of them fantastic, from stories of being injured by falling from his horse in a war with the Chinese armies, to being killed in his bed by a Western Xia (Shia) princess.
However, most of these rumors are thought to have emerged after his death, and his family and followers were instructed to keep the truth a secret. Basically, this secrecy was due to death occurring at the worst possible time. Genghis Khan died during a crucial phase of the 20-year-prepared conquest of Western Xia.
From a historical-medical point of view, his death may have been caused by a much more mundane illness, as he was reported to have felt unwell between 18 August and 25 August 1227 and died 8 days later.
It is believed that everyone who met him on the road was killed while his army was carrying his body, because he wanted to be buried in secret. Had the burial practices of the Xiongnu Kings been followed, he would have been buried in an unmarked tomb in a log chamber about 20 meters deep.
The army then allegedly rode 1,000 horses over the tomb to remove any traces. The completely concealed location thus made physical investigations or grave robbery impossible.
There are also some people who prefer to keep the place secret because at least some of the Mongolian people have a religious respect for the Khan, and some feel that it should be respected because they want the burial place to be kept a secret.
One theory and narrative is that the tomb may have been on a peak in the Hentii mountains, called Burkhan Haldun. It is believed that Khan once hid from his enemies on that mountain and promised to return at his death. However, it is worth noting that this theory is still controversial and there is evidence to suggest that there were five more mountains historically named Burkhan Khaldun.
Recently, scientists have tried to use more modern technologies to find places. An article published in PLOS ONE attempted to use crowdsourced support (more than 10,000 online volunteers contributing 30,000 hours) to find Genghis Khan via a satellite search. They surveyed 6,000 square kilometers and found many different archaeological remains, not the tomb itself.
In short, Genghis Khan’s tomb may never be found, and perhaps it would be better to keep it that way, given that his last wish was secrecy…
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