Erdene Zuu Monastery, Kharkhorin, Mongolia

Dark clouds above the Erdene Zuu Monastery near Kharkhorin in Mongolia

Erdene Zuu is the oldest Buddhist monastery (dating back to the end of the 16th century) in the country and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The complex forms a square of 400 by 400 meters. It is surrounded by a 7.5 meter high wall in which 108 stupas are incorporated. The complex is largely empty, as most of the buildings were demolished in 1939 by order of the communist leader Khorloogiin Choibalsan.