Tsagaan Suvarga

About this place

Tsagaan Suvarga, meaning «White Stupa», is a coloured escarpment in Ulziit district in southern Mongolia, looking from afar like the ruins of an ancient city on the plain. Despite the name there is no monastery or building, as the beauty lies entirely in the layers of rock. It is among the Gobi's strangest sights, and most long tours pass through. The area was a seabed millions of years ago, where sedimentary layers of limestone and clay built up. Guides mention marine shells and fossils in the rock. Wind and water then carved the walls into shapes resembling towers and ramparts. Sources differ on the height, from 30 to 60 m, while the escarpment runs for about 400 m. Standing at the rim you see the plain drop suddenly away, with layers of white, pink, red and orange below that shift with the light. Dirt paths lead down among the columns, and walking there reveals corners you cannot see from above. The colours are finest at sunset and in early morning, when the shadows deepen. It is about 420 to 460 km by road from Ulaanbaatar depending on the source, or 7 to 8 hours, and about 152 km in a straight line from Dalanzadgad. There is no public transport and no services at the site, though camps lie nearby. Keep away from the fragile rim. May to September suits it best, and September nights are cold. The UK Foreign Office reports fuel shortages that may disrupt travel to remote areas, so check before you set off.