Ghangis Khan Exhibit

Location: North Carolina Museum of Natural Science
Address: 11 West Jones Street  Raleigh, NC 27601
Admission: $14 
Child Friendly: Not really. Middle-schoolers maybe more likely high schoolers and up. 


First off let me say that I had no clue this traveling exhibit was so expensive to get into. And for the hefty price (more than I make in an hour) it was not worth it. Don't get me wrong, it was cool but not worth the $14 dollars. Sorry, I don't have any pictures from inside the exhibit, but do the sensitive nature of the artifacts, photography was not allowed.


I came into this exhibit with high hopes and left a little bit disappointed and wanting more. The exhibit begins with a video briefly detailing the accomplishments of Ghangis Khan and how he expanded his vast empire. First you step into a small room which details the lineage of Ghangis Khan. From there you move into the familial life of the Mongol peoples, with half of a recreated yurt. It briefly details the social structure and life of the nomadic peoples. 


Then the exhibit moves into details about the skilled archers and weaponry of the Mongols. There are several artifacts which include a composite bow, metal armor, and a few impressive sabers. This area draws attention to the skill of Mongolian archers, whom attacked their enemies on horseback and could fire their arrows hanging from the side of the horse. 


A large portion of the exhibit is dedicated the military conquests of Khan, with an LED light projection onto the floor the expansion of his empire over time. This area also highlights some of the weaponry used by Khan, such as the trebuchet and battery rams and the different battle tactics he used to conquer most of the known world. 


The exhibit does a good job of detailing the means in which Khan controlled his empire. It details how Khan established a system of writing in order to record his conquest and establish a vast political structure. There are scrolls which show examples of the early Mongolian language. On display are also examples of pottery and items which were traded along the silk road, which ran through Khan's empire. 


At the end of the museum, is a nice surprise. On display is the remains of a Mongolian women, found in the mountains. Be warned, it is real, so if your squeamish this might not be for you. The women herself, is short by today's standard, but was considered unusual tall. She is buried in several robes (also, on display) which indicate that she was of considerable wealth and stature.  This does mark a clear end to the exhibit. Leaving this room, you enter one final area which shows the influence of the Mongolian art and culture in past and present day artifacts. 


Overall, the exhibit took about an hour to complete. There wasn't a clear flow, causing people to often step in front of us whenever we were trying to read some of the labels. Some of the display areas were small corridors more like short hallways, invariably causing bottlenecks in traffic. I left with mixed feelings. Some of the artifacts in there were really cool, however this came at the steep price of admission (presumably for the exhibit's main attraction at the end).


All I can say is a I left a little bit wiser about the history of the Ghangis Khan and the Mongolian people as a whole, which I suppose is the important thing.