When Genghis Khan died in 1227, he left behind a unified Mongolia, a vast empire, and an unsolved mystery—his final resting place. The ruler ensured that his remains would be laid to rest in a place where they would never be disturbed.
Despite the secrecy, some scholars still hope to discover Genghis Khan's tomb, which would allow them to put a final end to the life of one of the most significant and controversial figures in history. While some remember him as the founder of Mongolia, others portray him as a fearsome conqueror who created an empire through blood and iron.
If Genghis Khan's tomb still exists, many experts believe it is located on sacred ground atop a remote, inaccessible mountain, protected by customs and laws. Some, like National Geographic explorer Albert Lin, are using modern technology to search for the tomb in innovative, non-invasive ways. Other scholars, however, believe that searching for the tomb is both futile and contrary to Genghis Khan's wishes.
What have researchers learned about the khan's tomb—and will we ever be able to pinpoint its exact location?
Who was Genghis Khan?
Before becoming Genghis Khan, he was Temujin, a member of the Borjigin clan, born around 1160. At that time, Mongolia was divided between nomadic clans that often fought for power. His father, Yesugei, was a warrior whose military prowess earned him status and fame—and many enemies, who poisoned him when Temujin was about nine years old.
One of his father's enemies, the Merkits, "set out after Temujin when he was old enough," Lin says. Although they kidnapped his new wife, Börte, Temujin managed to escape. They pursued him to the summit of Burhan Khaldun, a sacred mountain in the Hentai Range in eastern Mongolia. "At the top of this mountain, according to legend, he prayed in all directions to the sky god Tengri, and somehow from that moment on, he managed to escape his enemies."
Temujin returned from the mountain alive, but without his wife. So he began to forge alliances to defeat the Merkits and rescue Börte. They not only defeated the Merkits—they destroyed them. From there, Temujin began a campaign to unite the various clans in the region, amassing soldiers, resources, and respect. In 1206, the clan leaders gave Temujin a new title: Genghis Khan, which, according to Lin, means "king of everything." He united the nomadic tribes of Mongolia and created the Mongol Empire, which stretched from Central Asia to parts of China, Persia, and Russia.
"Genghis Khan is the founder of the nation, the father of all Mongols," says anthropologist Jack Weatherford, author of Genghis Khan and the Creation of the Modern World. "He gave them a unified nation, gave it a name, established an alphabet and a set of laws."
The death of Genghis Khan and his mysterious burial
In 1227, the khan died while campaigning against the Xixia Empire in northern China. No one knows the exact cause of his death, but a key source written after his death — "The Secret History of the Mongols" — gives us some insight. "All we have is one sentence: 'In the year of the boar [1227] Genghis Khan ascended to heaven," says Weatherford.
Later chroniclers told their own stories about the cause of his death, ranging from falling off a horse to an arrow wound and even castration. Rather, scholars suggest that bubonic plague killed him. It is said that Genghis Khan's body was returned to Mongolia for a secret burial. Stories claim that everyone who accompanied the procession was killed to keep the location a secret, or that his followers diverted a river to protect the site.
"None of this is based on any evidence," says Weatherford.
However, experts believe that the lack of records of the burial was probably intentional to prevent desecration or disturbance of the ruler's spirit. "If you want to conquer someone's land or spiritual power, you destroy the graves of the ancestors buried there, because those graves hold the spiritual power of that person," explains Lin.
But what would Genghis Khan's burial site look like?
Experts such as archaeologist Jan Bemann, professor of prehistory and early historical archaeology at the University of Bonn, say that 13th-century Mongolian elites would have been buried in wooden coffins and laid to rest "in remote areas at the top of a mountain ridge." He argues that Mongol men like Genghis Khan were buried with items such as "a quiver of arrows" or "horse gear" that identified them as warriors.
On the other hand, Weatherford believes that Genghis Khan may have simply been "wrapped in felt" and "buried in the ground" because he "prided himself on living like his soldiers."
There is also the possibility that Genghis Khan was not buried at all. Some Mongols practiced "sky burials" — a nomadic form of burial "where they carry you to the top of a mountain and leave you there," says Lin.
Regardless of how he was laid to rest, many people believe that Genghis Khan's final resting place is Burhan Khaldun—the sacred mountain of safety, transformation, and spirituality for the Mongolian people, now part of UNESCO's world cultural heritage.
But archaeologists cannot simply survey the mountain for his tomb. Burkhan Khaldun is a sacred site for the imperial family and therefore part of a restricted area, Lin explains. Visits require special permission from the state, and access is usually granted only to shamans and Mongolian officials.
Searching for the tomb in the 21st century
In 2008, Lin proposed using modern technology—including satellites, drones, ground-penetrating radar, magnetometers, and electromagnetic induction—to examine Burkhan Khaldun without digging up the ground. His team also involved the public in reviewing ultra-high-resolution satellite images through a pioneering crowdsourcing campaign. This non-invasive approach was key to obtaining permission to access the mountain.
As part of the Valley of Khans project, funded by the National Geographic Society, Lin and his team discovered thousands of artifacts—including tiles, burnt wood, and horse teeth—dating from the death of Genghis Khan and beyond.
They also located, according to Lin, a "mound" and a "giant temple" at the top of the mountain. "Mongolians are nomads, so they don't build permanent structures," he explains. So the fact that there is a permanent structure on the mountain suggests that it was for ceremonial rather than everyday purposes.
But could this structure be part of Genghis Khan's tomb? Lin says there is no way to know without physically examining the site.
"This is no longer a technological obstacle. I think it's a matter of the Mongolian people deciding today whether they want to know what's under that structure," he says.
Does it make sense to search for the tomb?
If Genghis Khan's tomb still exists, experts say it is more than just a burial site. Lin says that for many Mongolians, it "would be a living thing that still embodies the spirit of Genghis Khan."
According to Mongolian beliefs, the act of "visiting the tomb is an attempt to bring the spirit back from heaven," explains Weatherford.
Even after 800 years, Mongolians remain defenders of their founder, and this shapes their attitude toward the tomb.
"It's a matter of heritage for the Mongolian nation," says archaeologist Joshua Wright, senior lecturer at the University of Aberdeen. "No one there is interested in having his tomb excavated or his remains exposed."
Wright says it is standard practice in modern archaeology to work with and respect the interests of heritage communities. "If the modern Mongolian nation has no interest in excavating Genghis Khan, no one is really going to do it," he adds.
The lack of interest in Mongolia in excavating the tomb raises questions about what value such a discovery would bring — and what it might take away.
"We shouldn't be looking for his tomb," Weatherford argues. "Genghis Khan said clearly: 'Let my body die, let my nation live!'. He was serious about that, and so are the Mongolians. It's not superstition, it's respect." | BGNES

Published Date:2025-10-09