, ,
"to wade through" , nickname = Queen Tuul , image = Tuul River Mongolia.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Tuul flowing through the

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park Gorkhi-Terelj National Park ( mn, Горхи-Тэрэлж , ''creek-rhododendron'') is one of the national parks of Mongolia. The Terelj tourist zone has a number of "tourist camps" ( mn, жуулчны бааз, ''juulchny baaz''). It is connect ...

, 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 The Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area is a government administered Strictly Protected Area in the Khentii aimag (province) in Eastern Mongolia. Strictly Protected Areas are regions of land designated by the Mongolian government as wildlife pre ...

, source1_location = Erdene sum, Töv aimag , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , mouth = Orkhon River , 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 membe ...

, 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 Toghrul ( mn, Тоорил хан ''Tooril han''; ), also known as Wang Khan or Ong Khan ( ''Wan han''; ; died 1203) was a khan of the Keraites. He was the blood brother ( anda) of the Mongol chief Yesugei and served as an important early patron ...

was located. The river originates in the

in the

Khentii Mountains The Khentii Mountains ( mn, Хэнтийн нуруу) are a mountain range in the Töv and Khentii Provinces in North Eastern Mongolia. Geography The mountain chain overlaps the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area and includes Mongolia's ...

, 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 n ...

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

and Lake Baikal. The Tuul River also flows along the

Khustain Nuruu National Park Hustai National Park (), located in the Khustai Mountains (, lit. ''Birch Mountains'') of Töv Province (Aimag), is a national park of Mongolia. It is also known as Khustain Nuruu National Park. The Tuul River runs through the park. History Th ...

. 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. 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, the ...

, 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 Zaamar ( mn, Заамар) is a sum of Töv Province in Mongolia. It is one of the largest sums in Mongolia with a total area of 2,900 square kilometres and a population of 37,500 and 7,500 households. Geography The Zaamar range is home to bi ...

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 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 subordina ...

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

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