When you hear the word Mongolia, no doubt the Mongol Empire in the excellent basic Genghis Khan comes to thoughts. Stretching from Japan to Hungary, the mentioned empire of ancient times brought forever to fame Mongolia. Lying at the very heart of Asia, this incomparable land that balances the Eastern influences of China as well as the unadulterated wilderness of Siberian Russia, has remained sparsely populated, boasting of the gorgeous array of untouched landscapes and men and women who’re living fairly much from the exact same way as from the days on the Excellent Leader.

1 with the very best locations to go to so that you can take in Mongolia from a stranger’s point of view is Bayanhongor, Mongolia. Also spelled Bayankhongor, this town offers travelers with a solid grasp of the Mongolian culture. Right here, the nomads that inhabit the land arrive out to mingle, including small kids who’re left totally free to roam the pristine deserts. Amazing expanses of rolling steppe, known being the residence of the world-famous Mongolian horses and their herdsmen, flood the countryside, enthralling visitors which have lengthy wanted to see a watch other than that of the busy city life.

Bayanhongor, Mongolia boasts of intensely diverse geographic locations. The north, for instance, is exactly where the Khangai Mountains can be discovered, with slopes that appear like white chocolate fondue in the winter. The south, around the other hand, is a broad valley that is home to numerous salt lakes, where locals really like to hang out inside the spring. There’s also the Gobi-Altai mountain selection, breathtaking in its magnificence. Down the Chinese border, tourists can find a considerable aspect on the Trans-Altai Gobi, another sight to behold.

As if all these organic wonders are not sufficient to satisfy locals and tourists alike, Bayanhongor, Mongolia also has many hot mineral springs, acknowledged to provide wellness benefits towards the tired and weary traveler. Popular spring options could be found near Shargaljut, just more than 50 kilometers on the Aimag capital.

Starting with the most popularized instruments: Tar and kemanche from Central Asia that are very well made and have excellent sound. These instruments, although not from Iran but from the countries just North of the Iranian border, are ideal for Persian music. The Kemane is a spike fiddle but unlike our Turkish spike fiddle which has a gourd body with a skin head these have a body made of strips of staved wood, and are heavier constructed and even feature a leg rest with swivel base- you don’t change the bow angle to change strings but rather turn the whole instrument. The tone is comparable to Persian kemanche, and for all purposes is the same instrument, which is identical to those used in Armenia.

The tar are Central Asian style with the additional side strings, but just like Iranian tar have the skin head, 3 pairs of main strings of metal and waisted body carved from wood. These tar are shaped very much like Iranian tar from last century, with the curves of the upper skin being more wide and rounded than those of the last 50 years. These are the most robust tar we have been able to offer; they even have a neck reinforcement rod for added strength. They vary quite a bit in ornamentation, with some being austerely plain in the manner of Iranian tar, and others having inlaid patterns more in the Uzbeki and Azerbaijani style.

Several countries use the tar as one of the most important art instruments, including Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Tajikistan, and of course Iran; even the Herat region of Afghanistan had the chartar, although it was much rarer than the dutar and rebab and tambur. For many years it’s been difficult to get instruments from this part of the world, and we are fortunate to have a supply of these once rare items from a part of the world that is too little known, particularly its rich musical heritage. For centuries this was the Silk road, the caravan trail from the Middle East to China, and along with silk, spices, jewels, precious metals, etc., musical instruments were carried from place to place.

Many cities along the Silk road, like Samarkand and Bukhara, were known for their great musical cultures, often mixing musical elements from different regions into a rich fusion. Political upheavals of the last century and geographic isolation have kept Central Asia from the mainstream of the world music revival, but things are changing now as the treasures of this part of the world become better known.