According to The Secret History of the Mongols, Genghis Khan chose the area when he went hunting near the Burkhan Khaldun mountain in the Khentii Mountains of his homeland. He sat down to rest under a tree, and was so impressed by the scenery that he said: What a beautiful view! Bury me here when I pass away. Burkhan Khaldun was also greatly important to Genghis Khan because of his origins near there and because he escaped from Merkit enemies on the mountain in the late 1100s; he pledged at the time to honor the mountain from then on with sacrifices and prayer every morning.