From when Karakorum was first established in 1235 to its decline in 1266, it looked like the quintessential sedentary city. Karakorum possessed that of a wall, a palace, and many foreign inhabitants who created permanent commercial establishments. Yet, while Karakorum served as the face for the Mongolian Empire in the mid thirteenth century, it was far less venerated by the Mongolian people. It is of little surprise that the Mongolian people regarded Karakorum as just another city since they lived a nomadic lifestyle dating back to the Neolithic Age. The contrast in how most Mongolian people regarded their capital city from that of their subjugated peoples illustrated the sanctified regard they held towards their nomadic roots. For the Mongolian people of the thirteenth century, the city of Karakorum transcended beyond its physical boundaries with its spirit embodied by the yurts that surrounded it.