"We grew up thinking of Genghis Khan as a barbarian. But in reality we were the barbarians."

by Guest Sun May 10, 2015 2:53 pm

Dinosaurs may have been the reason Don Lessem went to Mongolia, but it was Genghis Khan that captured his attention.

"We grew up thinking of him as a barbarian," said Lessem, a Philadelphia native and dinosaur guru. "But in reality, we were the barbarians."

In the new traveling exhibit, "Genghis Khan: Bring the Legend to Life" — which opens May 9 at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia — the true story of this notorious conquerer is told. Fascinated by the genius of Khan, Lessem, the developer of the exhibit, wanted to "set the record straight."

"He brought the East and West together," Lessem said, adding that Khan was indeed a true visionary.

"Khan invented passports, paper money, he believed in freedom of religion and tax breaks for clerics. There are so many things that are a part of our everyday lives. We just don't realize it," he said.

The most comprehensive exhibition of Genghis Khan and his treasures, the exhibit features more than 200 artifacts — and many of these artifacts were just recently donated from private collectors in Mongolia and the U.S. The artifacts include jewels, silk robes, ceramics, religious relics, and weapons, including one of the world's earliest guns and a sword carried by one of Marco Polo's guards.

"He was a man who came from nothing. But he knew he was to going to rule the world," said Lessem.

Khan dominated three times more land in his lifetime than Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great. He created the nation of Mongolia and its written language, and he established the modern borders of nations from India to Iran and Korea to China. He also opened trade routes that linked East and West....

And Genghis Khan definitely is an inspiration. He also introduced pants, forks, charcoal, the Pony Express and chopped meat to the West.

"This exhibit sets out to correct some misnomers and showcase Khan both as a legendary warrior and an innovative leader who brought stability and unity to a vast empire," said Dubinski.

Lessem has researched and traveled in Mongolia since 1988. His interest in Khan led him to create the Genghis Khan traveling museum. The exhibit has been in Houston and Chicago. This is the first East Coast stop for the exhibit.

http://www.nj.com/indulge/index.ssf/2015/05/genghis_khan_exhibit_science_meets_history_at_franklin_institute.html

by southindian Sun May 10, 2015 7:00 pm

Rashmun,

Did your daughter make breakfast for you on Mothers Day?

by ashdoc Tue May 12, 2015 3:50 am

chinggis khan ( thats what the monglians call him ) was not a muslim . so why are you defending him ??

oh , it's the 'khan' in the name that gives you a hard on.... Laughing

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"We grew up thinking of Genghis Khan as a barbarian. But in reality we were the barbarians."

"We grew up thinking of Genghis Khan as a barbarian. But in reality we were the barbarians."

Re: "We grew up thinking of Genghis Khan as a barbarian. But in reality we were the barbarians."

Re: "We grew up thinking of Genghis Khan as a barbarian. But in reality we were the barbarians."

Re: "We grew up thinking of Genghis Khan as a barbarian. But in reality we were the barbarians."