Mongolia is fascinating—yet our ideas of the country’s culture remain defined by images of lonely herdsmen and the "hordes" of Genghis Khan. The exhibition Mongolia – A Journey Through Time offers a surprising new take.

The exhibition draws on recent spectacular archaeological findings and features over two hundred objects on loan from Mongolia’s major museums. They invite the visitor to delve into the vibrant, colorful culture of the large urban settlements established on the Mongolian steppe between the second and fourteenth centuries. There, traditional Mongolian life came into contact with the lifestyles of the merchants and craftspersons from across Eurasia. Precious fabrics, writings in more than twelve languages, temples, and ritual places attest to lively trading relationships, cultural exchange, and religious diversity, making the north Asian steppe an axis of early cultural overlap between Europe and East Asia.

At the same time, the lives of the people of Mongolia continue to be defined by a nomadic way of being, forming the core of their identity. Contemporary works explore the tension between urban life and nomadic traditions.