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Genghis Khan Is Remembered for His Vast Empire and Fearsome Warriors. This Exhibition Explores His Cultural Legacy
Key takeaways
- Roughly 250 rare Mongolian artifacts are making their United Kingdom debut as part of the exhibition.
- The exhibition, which is divided into six chapters, traces the Mongols’ spread from Asia into Central Europe, leading to historic levels of cultural and commercial exchange across continents.
- Favereau highlights the silk deel, a type of robe worn by the empire’s nomadic elite.
A nomad on his horse, from the sixth to seventh century © Kharakhorum Museum via Royal Armouries Museum Eight hundred years after he ruled the largest contiguous land empire the world had ever seen, Genghis Khan is the star of an exhibition in England. “Genghis Khan: How the Mongols Changed the World” at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds explores the life and legacy of the prolific ruler, going beyond his brutal reputation to highlight his lasting legacy on science, politics and the arts.
Roughly 250 rare Mongolian artifacts are making their United Kingdom debut as part of the exhibition. “For the first time, we have objects coming directly from Mongolia and not from other museums, because they are starting to recreate their own history with objects they found in archaeological excavations,” historian Marie Favereau, the show’s curator and author of The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World, tells BBC News’ Julia Bryson.
The exhibition, which is divided into six chapters, traces the Mongols’ spread from Asia into Central Europe, leading to historic levels of cultural and commercial exchange across continents. Noteworthy artifacts on display include saddles, ceramics, tablets that served as early passports and paper currency that predates Europe’s first notes.