Altai Heritage and Conservation Center

Help us purchase a new, community museum building for western Mongolia!

Located in the town of Sagsai in Bayan-Ulgii province, the Altai Heritage and Conservation Center will be situated at a key travel crossroads between the provincial center of Ulgii and some of Mongolia's most important (and most-visited) cultural and ecological zones, including Altai Tavan Bogd National Park and Tsengel Khairkhan mountain.

Famous for its cultural traditions (including the famous eagle hunting tradition), wildlife (including threatened and iconic animals like the snow leopard and argali sheep), and rich archaeological heritage (including the UNESCO World Heritage petroglyphs and mysterious frozen tombs of the Pazyryk culture), the region nonetheless lacks a modern and internationally-legible museum. In recent years, many important discoveries have been made in the region, such as the first direct evidence of domestic horses in Mongolia, and some of the oldest indications of mounted horseback riding in East Asia. However, while these discoveries proliferate in international information spheres, many remain absent from educational materials or community knowledge in the Altai.

Schematic of the new Altai Heritage and Conservation Center. Drawing: E. Mazza

The Sagsai area often hosts major scientific research projects traveling to study and work on the Altai's rich natural and cultural heritage. However, teams traveling through the region often lack an easy home base for logistics (from lodging/showers to planning, meeting, or other key activities).

Some of the oldest evidence for horse culture in East Asia has come from the Altai region, as melting ice exposes ancient artifacts and animal remains

This interdisciplinary museum will fill a huge need in the Bayan-Ulgii community for local, educational, and world-class educational content provided both for local Kazakh and Mongolian community members and youth as well as the hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists who visit the region each year. Partnering with experts at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Kazakh Falconry Association, National Museum of Mongolia, NOMAD Science, and the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, the Center will display educational museum exhibits introducing visitors to the region's history and ecology - and exploring the interplay between pastoralism, hunting, wildlife, and tradition, and the challenges facing western Mongolia in a warming and globalizing world. Museum materials will be produced in three languages - Kazakh, Mongolian, and English.

Sagsai Mayor B. Bekbolat with an ancient Mongol Empire arrow discovered in the region

Working closely with the government of Sagsai sum, we have identified an important (and historic) building that will serve as the home for this new center. This center, which is equipped with bathroom and shower facilities and a meeting room, will also serve as bookable lodging for scientific research projects, conferences, and community events.

Funds contributed will be donated directly to the town of Sagsai to support the purchase of museum building space.

$15,000 (after tax, so a little more) is enough for us to make the property purchase - and anything we can raise beyond that will help with important repairs and improvements!

Separate, already-secured funds will be used to help develop and install exhibits themselves, while the town of Sagsai will arrange staffing and support for the Center itself.

Donate today, and your generous donation will help make this museum a reality for the people of western Mongolia!