Genghis Khan’s life, world displayed at Fernbank

GENGHIS KHAN: DID YOU KNOW?

Genghis Khan fathered kids with five wives and more than 500 concubines. A study published by the American Journal of Human Genetics reveals he may be the world’s greatest breeder. More than 16 million living descendants can be genetically linked to Genghis.

Although he’s best known as a military leader, Khan is cited as popularizing post offices, the pony express, paper money and diplomatic immunity.

Legend has it that Khan was born with a blood clot in his hand, an old-school omen that he would one day become a leader.

Nearly 800 years after his iron fist grabbed hold of most of Eurasia, Genghis Khan is staking his claim on Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

The “Genghis Khan” exhibit, opening Friday at Fernbank, yanks visitors back to the 13th century with an up-close-and-personal look at the legendary Mongolian ruler. As part of Fernbank’s 20th anniversary celebration, the exhibit serves as a rare glimpse into the life of Khan and his descendants, not to mention a crash course on the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire.

“Fernbank has a long history of bringing spectacular cultural exhibits to Atlanta,” said Bobbi Hohmann, Fernbank curator and anthropologist, “but few have focused on the life and accomplishments of an historical figure.”

The “Genghis Khan” exhibit culls together more than 200 relics straight out of the emperor’s world. This runs the gamut from shimmering bling to the authentic weaponry Khan’s army used. Many of the items are popping up in public for the first time.

Dealing with ultra-rare items is always a big deal for Fernbank’s staff. When cracking open the crates of Genghis Khan-related relics, Hohmann said she was smacked with amazement when seeing items such as an actual Mongolian messenger passport or a barnacle-encrusted vessel scooped from the depths of the Sea of Japan.

Handling authentic objects requires the staff to slip on cotton or latex gloves. Getting the museum temperature and humidity levels just right is critical. If it’s too dry or chilly, some materials will crack. Too much heat or humidity, and you’ll get mold. Museum employees also keep tabs on light levels. You don’t want to fade things such as textile or paper items. That’s why lights are often low in the some of the galleries.

Yet, there’s plenty of illumination to see the goods at “Genghis Khan.” In fact, guests will likely be illuminated themselves. Not only will visitors get a healthy helping of facts, but “Genghis Khan” is a close encounter of the immersive kind. You’ll find a re-creation of Xanadu, the summer palace digs of Khan’s grandson, Kublai Khan. Guests get an eyeful of full-size siege equipment, including a trebuchet and a triple bow siege crossbow.

Hohmann’s favorite part of the exhibit is the reconstructed ger or yurt, the traditional portable dwelling used by the Mongols and other nomads. Genghis Khan, who was born Temujin, spent his nomadic days living in one.

“Although only half of the ger has been reconstructed in the gallery, visitors really can get a sense of the architectural elements and traditional household furnishings that one would find in a ger today as well as in the past,” Hohmann said. “There is also a video showing how a ger is constructed, and I can tell you from firsthand experience that it is more difficult than it looks!”

These and other aspects of the exhibit attempt to shed light on Khan the man and step outside his stereotypical characterization as a head-busting barbarian.

“The life of Genghis Khan reads like a Hollywood movie with tales of hardship, treachery and deceit at every turn,” Hohmann said. “Genghis was definitely a self-made man who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, not from an aristocratic family or born of privilege. … From these humble beginnings came one of the most important rulers of all time.”