Ritual Water Architecture in Kharkhorum: the Artificial Lake within Erdene Zuu Monastery

Abstract

Archaeological investigations conducted by the Mongolian–German Kharkhorum Expedition have demonstrated that Erdene Zuu Monastery occupies the former imperial palace precinct of Kharkhorum, the former capital of the Mongol Empire. Among the most significant features preserved within the enclosure is a large artificial lake connected to a canal system drawing water from the Orkhon River. Although documented in nineteenth-century maps and photographs, the lake has received little scholarly attention and has generally been interpreted as either a monastic or utilitarian feature.

This article argues that the reservoir formed part of the ceremonial and cosmological landscape of the Mongol imperial palace. Drawing upon archaeological evidence, historical sources, and comparative material from Xiongnu, Uighur, and Mongol traditions, the study examines the relationship between artificial lakes, sacred kingship, oath-taking rituals, and imperial legitimacy in Inner Asia. The article proposes that the lake at Kharkhorum functioned not merely as a hydraulic installation, but as a consciously constructed ritual feature embedded within the symbolic landscape of Mongol imperial authority.