At its center was a massive Silver Tree commissioned by Mongke.
This city is unflatteringly compared to Saint-Denis in the most detailed European description of it, a report written by William of Rubruck. A captured French goldsmith, Guillaume Bouchier, sculpted a structure at this city's center containing a angel holding a trumpet at its top, which could blow its horn, causing attached serpent sculptures to gush out alcohol for guests. The modern day city near this one is close to the ancient Erdene Zuu Buddhist monastery, which features a statue of a penis on a platform on a steppe as a reminder for monks to remain celibate. The Palace of Myriad Peace was built in this city a few years after successful sieges at (*) Caizhou and Kaifeng. At its center was a massive Silver Tree commissioned by Mongke. This city was replaced as capital by Shangdu and then modern-day Beijing, a relocation ordered by Kublai Khan. For 10 points, name this capital of the Mongol Empire from 1235 to 1260.
This city is unflatteringly compared to Saint-Denis in the most detailed European description of it, a report written by William of Rubruck.
Karakorum [or Kharkorin; or Kharkhorum]