Urga (Concert of Europe)

Urga (from Mongolian: ᠥᠷᠭᠦᠭᠡ Örgöö, meaning "Palace"; known in Monglian as ᠨᠡᠶᠢᠰᠯᠡᠯ ᠬᠦᠷᠢᠶᠡᠨ Niĭslel Khüree, meaning "Capital Camp") is the capital and largest city of. The settlement began in the 17th century as a yurt monastery for Buddhist monks, and soon grew to be the largest semi-permanent settlement of the nomadic Mongols. In more recent times it became the seat of power of Bogd Khan, the ruler of Mongolia and third most powerful man in the hierarchy of Tibetan Buddhism, after the Dalai Lama (who governs ) and the Panchen Lama.

Today, Urga is the main industrial, cultural and financial heart of the country: it stands in its geographical centre, a wide valley on the Tuul river, but was moved almost thirty times in the past before reaching its current location. It became Mongolia's most important manufacturing hub, and one of the few industrialized areas of the country: today, almost a quarter of the country's population lives there.