For me, as a specialist focused on Central Asia, this journey deepened my understanding of our shared history with the Mongols in many ways. I was struck by the linguistic echoes between Mongolian and Turkic languages—connections that emerged long before the Mongol conquests and gained new life afterwards. The silence of Baga Gazariin Chuluu in the Gobi revealed another layer of human devotion: the way landscape itself shapes faith and memory. Standing among the ruins of Buddhist monasteries destroyed during the Stalinist purges, and listening to the stories surrounding them, I was reminded not only of our common Mongol past, but also of our shared communist past, when many Islamic buildings in Central Asia suffered a similar fate. Equally enriching were the long conversations with colleagues about diverse facets of Mongol history, which opened fresh perspectives I hope to continue exploring. Overall, this journey offered a profound window into culture, geography, and history, reshaping both my research and teaching.
