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MARIA-KATHARINA LANG
temples, which occurred in many places, such as in Arkhangai, Khöwsgöl and Khen¬
tii provinces.
The Law on Culture’ restricts the use of the “tangible cultural heritage” of state
property, with exception of historical buildings, to their original use.'* Until 2014, it
was permitted to use cultural monuments in a museum for religious purposes under
mutual agreement.
Shinebat’’ expressed his view concerning sacred objects related to the monastery
in his position as young curator and former monk of Erdene Dsuu Monastery:
“It is very difficult. Now it is a museum. The museum needs to protect items. In the
monastery it is difficult to protect and preserve the items. Nowadays some young
monks have no knowledge about how to preserve and protect the items. I think it
is better in the museum. Maybe in the future, when they have knowledge of how
to preserve and knowledge about the museum, it can be solved in any way.”
With regard to the question if he perceives Erdene Dsuu as a museum or temple he
stated:
“Now I work in a museum. Erdene Dsuu became a museum in 1965. Officially, it
is a museum since 1965. Most people do not think so. Most people of Mongolia
think it is an active monastery. But officially, it is a museum. I feel it as a museum
because I know it became a museum in 1965."
It depends on the knowledge and the point of view of the beholder how the museum¬
temple relation is perceived.
Tömörbaatar, director of Erdene Dsuu Museum, considered to combine both
institutions, temple and museum, into one and to employ monks as museum workers.
Khamba Lama Kh. Baasansüren, the Abbot of Erdene Dsuu Monastery, is very
critical of the monks status as "living objects." According to him, most Mongolian
visitors are believers who come to Erdene Dsuu to worship. Foreign tourists buy
entrance tickets to see the museum, the active temple with monks practising included.
Shinebat however remembered sitting in the temple as a monk:
“When I was in the temple, I was very young. I did not think that much about it.
When I was in the temple, I only wanted to know the meaning of things. I was not
interested in the connection of a museum and temple and visitors.”
Apart from this, it is a difficult situation for the monks that the main deities cannot be
worshipped properly, as they are kept in the museum depository. Admitting that the
monks might preserve the deities in the required condition, the abbot Baasansüren
'8 Article 36, Paragraph 3, Law on Culture.
'° In 2018 Shinebat was appointed as director of Kharkhorum Museum in Kharkhorin.
20 Shinebat, Erdene Dsuu Monastery, 17 June 2016.
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