, ,
"to wade through" , nickname = Queen Tuul , image = Tuul River Mongolia.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Tuul flowing through the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park , map = Toula (rivière).png , map_size = 280 , map_caption = , pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_size = , pushpin_map_caption= , subdivision_type1 = Country , subdivision_name1 =

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million ...

, subdivision_type2 = Aimags , subdivision_name2 = Khentii, Töv, Bulgan, Selenge , subdivision_type3 = , subdivision_name3 = , subdivision_type4 = , subdivision_name4 = , subdivision_type5 = City , subdivision_name5 =

Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north ce ...

, length = , width_min = , width_avg = , width_max = , depth_min = , depth_avg = , depth_max = , discharge1_location= , discharge1_min = , discharge1_avg = , discharge1_max = , source1 = Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area , source1_location = Erdene sum, Töv aimag , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , mouth =

Orkhon River The Orkhon River (; mn, Орхон гол, ''Orkhon gol'', Old Chinese: 安侯水 ''(*arhoushui)'') is a river in Mongolia. The Orkhon river derives its name from the Old Turkic prefix "or" meaning "middle", and "khan" or king. It rises in ...

, mouth_location = Orkhontuul sum, Selenge , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , basin_size = , tributaries_left = , tributaries_right = Terelch River , custom_label = , custom_data = , extra = Tuul aus der Vogelperspektive

The Tuul River or Tula River (; mn, Туул гол, , ; in older sources also Tola) is a river in central and northern

. Sacred to the

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...

, the Tuul is generally called the Hatan Tuul ( mn, Хатан Туул, ; "Queen Tuul"). It is long and drains an area of . The

Secret History of the Mongols ''The Secret History of the Mongols'' (Middle Mongol: ''Mongɣol‑un niɣuca tobciyan''; Traditional Mongolian: , Khalkha Mongolian: , ; ) is the oldest surviving literary work in the Mongolian language. It was written for the Mongol royal fa ...

(1240 AD) frequently mentions a "Black Forest of the Tuul River" where the palace of Ong Khan was located. The river originates in the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area in the Khentii Mountains, in the Erdene sum of Töv aimag. From there, it travels southwest until it reaches the territory of

. Its water runs through the southern part of the capital city of Mongolia, continuing in a western direction in large loops. When it meets the border of

Bulgan aimag Bulgan ( mn, Булган) is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia, located in northern Mongolia. Its capital is also named Bulgan. Geography The aimag is surrounded by Russia (Buryatia) in the north, the aimags Khövsgöl in the no ...

it turns north, running along that border. After it enters Selenge aimag, it discharges into the

near the sum center of Orkhontuul sum. The Orkhon flows into the

Selenge River The Selenga or Selenge ( ; bua, Сэлэнгэ гол / Сэлэнгэ мүрэн, translit=Selenge gol / Selenge müren; russian: Селенга́, ) is a major river in Mongolia and Buryatia, Russia. Originating from its headwater tributaries, ...

, which flows into

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

and

Lake Baikal Lake Baikal (, russian: Oзеро Байкал, Ozero Baykal ); mn, Байгал нуур, Baigal nuur) is a rift lake in Russia. It is situated in southern Siberia, between the federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the ...

. The Tuul River also flows along the Khustain Nuruu National Park. It is typically frozen over from the middle of November through the middle of April. Willow forests grow along the Tuul River, and the river itself is home to endangered species of

sturgeon Sturgeon is the common name for the 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. The earliest sturgeon fossils date to the Late Cretaceous, and are descended from other, earlier acipenseriform fish, which date back to the Early ...

. Currently the river is suffering from

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, th ...

, some caused by Ulaanbaatar's central sewage treatment facility, as well as heavy mineral and

sedimentation Sedimentation is the deposition of sediments. It takes place when particles in suspension settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to the ...

pollution caused by

gold mining Gold mining is the extraction of gold resources by mining. Historically, mining gold from alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold panning. However, with the expansion of gold mining to ores that are not on the surface, ...

in the Zaamar area. In addition, the steady influx of people settling near the river may be causing a degradation of water quality.

Descriptions

The French missionary Jean-Francois Gerbillon, who traveled many times through Mongolia, gave a description of the Tuul river in his journal entry dated August 3, 1698: Monsieur de Bourboulon (Minister of France) also visited the river in 1860:

Orkhon inscriptions The Orkhon inscriptions (also known as the Orhon inscriptions, Orhun inscriptions, Khöshöö Tsaidam monuments (also spelled ''Khoshoo Tsaidam'', ''Koshu-Tsaidam'' or ''Höshöö Caidam''), or Kul Tigin steles ( zh, t=闕特勤碑, s=阙特勤� ...

states that Once

Toquz Oghuz The Toquz Oghuz ( otk, 𐱃𐰸𐰆𐰔:𐰆𐰍𐰔, Toquz Oγuz; ; "Turks of Nine Bones") was a political alliance of nine Turkic-speaking Tiele tribes in Inner Asia, during the early Middle Ages. The Toquz Oghuz was consolidated and subordi ...

were living on the sides of Tuul River neighbouring to

Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different Turki ...

migrated from this place to western regions in the 8th century.

External links

*UNESC
paper
on water usage in Mongolia, including information on the Tuul River *Scientifi
analysis
of Tuul River flows (PDF format)
Report
on effects of gold mining on the Tuul River *Investors
report
on gold deposits in the Tuul River basin

of the Tuul River
Report
on environmental problems in Hustai National Park and the Tuul River valley

References

{{Authority control Rivers of Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Khentii Province Töv Province Bulgan Province Selenge Province

Descriptions

See also

External links

References