2713White pigeons surround Mazar-e-
sharif. Mazar-e-sharif means 'noble
shrine', and it is home to the shrine
of Hazrat Ali, the fourth caliph
and son-in-law of the Prophet
Muhammad. Genghis Khan trashed
Balkh in 1220, and Tamerlane rose
to power at a battle, attacking
Balkh. The shrine was rebuilt in
the 15th century.AFGHANISTAN11The Refectory Church (Pechersk
Lavra) in Kiev, Ukraine. While the
church was only built in 1895, the
Siege of Kiev was was a key Mongol
victory in 1240. The Mongols began
their invasion of Rus in 1237, moving
into Kiev. After taking the city, the
Mongols moved into conquering
Eastern Europe.
UKRAINE
08
Jia Yu Guan is the Ming Dynasty
border gate of China which is
bordered by the Taolai Canyon
and the Black Mountain.
The background shows the
famous Qilian Mountain.CHINA12A young Kyrgyz boy in the golden
hours of the afternoon beside the
shores of Song-köl. Song-köl is
a picturesque jailoo (high-land
pasture) in Kyrgyzstan where
herders fatten their stocks in the
summer, and return to their home in
the winter.
KYRGYZSTAN
07
Shar-e-Ghogola translates as 'City
of Screams', and was built by the
Glorids in Bamyan. This city resisted
the Mongols, but was betrayed
by the daughter of the king who
decided to betroth herself to a
Mongol in rebellion of the king's
decision to take a new wife. She was
beheaded by the Mongols, and the
scream was reportedly chillingly
loud, hence the name.AFGHANISTAN09One of the many sandstone cliff
Buddhist grottoes along the
Hexi Corridor, Mati Si translates
as 'horse hoof monastery'. The
name arises from the legend that
a sacred horse left its hoof prints
inside the grotto.CHINA13Petroglyphs of animals at the
mountain Shiveet Khairkhan
Uul overlooking the mighty river
Tsagaan Gol. The Altai Mountains
have fostered the hunting, herding
and nomadic cultures of Eurasia,
and these petroglyphs in the
Mongolian Altai blend harmoniously
into the surrounding landscape.MONGOLIA10KIM LAU has been conducting
explorations and photographing
Eurasia since 2005. His photographs
draw inspiration from historical
travellers like Marco Polo and Ibn
Batutta. His work is captured using
Olympus cameras; images are
complemented with video and sound
recordings. http://www.mongolempire.co