Shankh Monastery

The Buddhist monastery Schanch Chiid (Mongolian Шанх хийд ) is one of the oldest and most important monasteries in Mongolia. The name refers to the locality Schanch in which the monastery is located, the Mongolian word Chiid means " monastery".

Location

The monastery is located in the north of the province Öwörchangai in the center of Mongolia. The nearest city Kharkhorin is located 25 km northwest.

History

The monastery was founded in 1647 Schanch Chiid Dsanabadsar. 1921 consisted of around 20 buildings, where about 1500 monks lived. 1937 was - as almost all the temples and monasteries of Mongolia - closed in connection with the anti-Buddhist activities of the then party and government Chorloogiin Choibalsan and partially destroyed, while many monks were deported to Siberia. Built in the mid-18th century the main temple and some other buildings were preserved and served as warehouses. Since the early 1990s Schankh Khiid is used again as a monastery, and some of the buildings were built with the help of surviving monks again.