A vertical script
The traditional Mongolian script is written in vertical columns, from top to bottom, with the columns running from left to right. This is unusual: most vertical scripts, such as traditional Chinese, run their columns from right to left. To a first-time viewer, the script looks like a flowing spine running down a page, with short strokes branching off to either side. The letters change shape depending on where they fall in a word, at the start, middle or end, and several letters can look similar, which makes reading demanding for beginners.
The script is sometimes called the classical or Uighur-Mongol script. It is used to write Mongolian and, in modified forms, other related languages, and it is still in everyday use in Inner Mongolia in China. In the independent state of Mongolia, the Cyrillic alphabet is the main script for daily writing, while the older script holds a ceremonial, heritage and growing official role.
Uyghur roots
The script descends from the Old Uyghur script, which itself developed from the Sogdian alphabet and ultimately from Aramaic-based writing used along the Silk Road. The Uyghurs, a Turkic people with a significant historical presence in Central Asia, had a literate culture, and their alphabet was a convenient choice when the Mongols needed a way to write. Our article on the Khitan and Uyghur eras on the steppe sets out that earlier political world.
According to a widely repeated account, the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan had an Uyghur scribe, often named as Tata-tonga, teach the alphabet to Mongol officials and princes after the conquest of the Naiman in the early 13th century. Historians treat details of that story with some caution, but the broad picture is well established: the Mongols adopted the Uyghur script in the early empire, and it became the base for later Mongolian writing. One of the earliest major works in the language, The Secret History of the Mongols, survives in a Chinese-character transcription rather than the original script, which shows how much writing systems were mixed in the empire.
Another script, the square script known as Phags-pa, was devised in the 13th century for use across the Mongol Empire under Yuan rule. It saw limited lasting use, while the Uyghur-based script continued.
Other scripts
The history of Mongolian writing is not a single line. A few developments stand out:
- Soyombo. Created in the late 17th century and credited to Zanabazar, it was designed to write Mongolian, Sanskrit and Tibetan. A symbol drawn from it appears on the national flag of Mongolia. The Soyombo symbol is a good example of script design merging with national identity.
- Todo (clear script). Developed in the 17th century to represent spoken Oirat more precisely.
- Cyrillic. Introduced in the 1940s during the socialist era and adopted for official use. It remains the everyday script in Mongolia today.
In the early 1990s, after the democratic revolution, there was interest in reviving the traditional script. The country has since discussed and promoted its wider use, including in official documents. How far and how fast that goes in practice is something that changes, so check what you see on the ground rather than assuming it.
Calligraphy as art
Because the script flows down the page in a single stroke-like line, it lends itself to calligraphy. Calligraphers use a brush or a reed pen and aim for smooth, balanced columns, strong spines and elegant tails. Calligraphy appears in several places:
- Seals and stamps. Official seals have long used the vertical script.
- Religious texts. Monastic copies of Buddhist writings were often written in fine hand, sometimes in gold or silver ink on dark paper.
- Decorative art. Calligraphy can be found on paintings, scrolls, and in modern design.
- Public signs and monuments. In Ulaanbaatar, you may see the script on building facades and statues, alongside Cyrillic.
Calligraphy classes and workshops are offered in some cultural centers, and a short lesson can be a nice way to appreciate the shapes. If you take a lesson, ask the teacher to write your name. It makes a personal and practical keepsake.
Seeing and using the script today
You are most likely to spot the old script in these settings:
- On banknotes and official emblems, where it often appears next to Cyrillic text.
- On some government buildings and public monuments.
- On cultural souvenirs, from bookmarks to stamped paper.
- At the Naadam festival and other ceremonial events, in banners and certificates.
Learning even a handful of letters can be rewarding, but you do not need the script to travel. Most signage you actually need, such as street names, menus and transport notices, is in Cyrillic, often with Latin transliteration in tourist areas. If you want to learn how Mongolian sounds and how to read it, our overview of the Mongolian language and the guide to useful Mongolian phrases are easier places to begin.
A note on terms
Names for the script differ among writers: you may see it called Mongol bichig, the traditional Mongolian script, the vertical script or Uighur-Mongol. They usually refer to the same thing. When you meet a transliteration of a Mongolian name in English, spelling often differs from source to source, because several systems exist.