In the westernmost banner of Inner Mongolia, in the middle of the Gobi Desert, there once stood a prosperous kingdom. It was a center of religious learning, of art and a trading hub.
According to one of the many Mongolian legends, the first descendants of the gods built Khara-Khoto, a beautiful and rich city, which housed sages, merchants, brave soldiers and skilled craftsmen.
Khara-Khoto means “black city”. It was a Medieval Tangut fortress on the Silk Road, built in 1032 near Juyan Lake Basin.
The remains show 9.1 m-high ramparts and 3.7 m-thick outer walls.
It became a centre of Western Xia trade in the 11th century.
In The Travels of Marco Polo, Marco Polo described a visit to a city called Etzina or Edzina, which was identified with Khara-Khoto.
The walled fortress was first taken by Genghis Khan in 1226. It continued to flourish under the Mongols and during Kublai Khan’s time it was expanded.
