Ikh Khorig

The Ikh Khorig (Mongolian: Их Хориг), or Great Taboo, is a 240 km2 (93 sq mi) area in the Khentii Aimag (province) of Mongolia, believed by some to be the location of Genghis Khan's grave.

The area, already made difficult to reach by a series of mountains covered in thick forest, was declared sacred, and off limits to everyone except family members and the Darkhad, a group of elite warriors and their families, who were given the task of ensuring that no one else entered under penalty of death.

The Darkhads and their descendants faithfully carried out their assignment for more than 700 years, from the Khan's death in 1227 until the establishment of the Mongolian People's Republic (a satellite state of the USSR) in 1924.

The team worked from 1989 to 1992 using ultrasound technology, which enabled them to find 1380 possible graves of Mongolian nobles.

The idea of archaeological excavations, however, offends many Mongolians, who due to either superstition or respect for the leader believe that the Khan's resting place should be left undisturbed.