What is Tartaria? – A Conspiracy Theory

A yellow flag featuring a black griffin, standing on its hind legs with a trident and a sword. — A historical flag featuring a griffin, symbolizing Tataria’s power and wisdom, against a bright yellow background.

One of my favorite YouTube series have to do with conspiracy. I don’t consider myself a tin-foil hat wearing nut job, but I love researching to them. My favorite series is created by the amazing team at “My Lunch Break.” It includes videos and podcasts. There was a narrative of “Tartaria” or the “Tartarian Empire” being a forgotten super-civilization. This civilization supposedly had advanced technology and a unified culture. This theory suggests that this empire was responsible for constructing much of the world’s most magnificent architecture. These range from the Great Pyramids to grand, ornate buildings found in modern cities.

A historical map of Asia from the 18th century, featuring colorful regions including Tartary, China, and Persia, with ornate details and a legend in French. — A historical map depicting the region of Asia, labeled with various geographical names, including ‘Tartary’ and ‘China,’ showcasing Europe’s evolving understanding of Asian territories.

According to this narrative, the empire was erased from history through a combination of catastrophic events and a deliberate cover-up. The primary destruction mechanism is described as a “mud flood.” It was a colossal deluge of mud that buried Tartarian cities. This event wiped out much of the population and technology. Proponents of the theory suggest that modern powers conspired to suppress the truth of this lost civilization. They rewrote history to hide its existence. They also claimed its surviving architectural achievements as their own.

However, historical and cartographic records present a different account.

The Historical “Tartary”

Historical postcard of the Palace of Horticulture at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, featuring a large dome and decorative fountains by a reflecting pool. — Historical image of the Palace of Horticulture at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, showcasing grand architecture and a reflecting pool.

The term “Tartary” (also Tartaria) was a real name used by Western European cartographers from the 13th to the 19th centuries. It was a blanket term for a vast region of Asia. This area was poorly understood and included what is now Siberia and Central Asia. It was a geographical designation, not a unified empire.

The Tartars

Origin of the Term: The name comes from the “Tatars.” This term was used broadly by Europeans for various Turkic and Mongol peoples in the region. This was particularly common after the Mongol invasions. Europeans often added the extra “r” to associate the region with Tartarus. Tartarus is the underworld of Greek mythology. This reflected a fear of the Mongol hordes.
Evolution on Maps: Early maps show a single, vast “Tartaria”. As European geographical knowledge improved, the term became more specific. By the 18th century, maps showed subdivisions like “Chinese Tartary.” They also showed “Independent Tartary” and “Muscovite (or Russian) Tartary.” These indicated different spheres of influence. It was not one cohesive empire.
Disappearance from Maps: “Tartary” was not “erased” from history; the term simply became obsolete. The Russian and Chinese empires expanded their territories. European geographers gained more accurate information. As a result, the vague label was replaced by more precise political and geographical names like Siberia, Turkestan, and Mongolia. The Russian Geographical Society does not hide this history. It has shared its extensive collection of historical maps. These maps show Tartary to debunk the conspiracy theory.

Addressing the Conspiracy Theory’s “Evidence”

A historic black and white photograph showcasing a grand architectural structure with a prominent dome, viewed from behind a statue holding a staff and an eagle. The scene features crowds and several buildings along a waterway. — Historical architectural styles from the 19th and early 20th centuries, showcasing Beaux-Arts influences, as seen in this grand structure.

The theory relies on reinterpreting historical artifacts and events to fit its narrative.

Architecture: The grand buildings cited as “Tartarian” are well-documented examples of 19th and early 20th-century architectural styles. These styles include primarily Beaux-Arts and Neoclassical. These styles, inspired by classical Greek and Roman forms, were popular for monumental public buildings and mansions. They were even used for temporary structures for World’s Fairs. The global similarity of these buildings does not suggest a single lost empire. Instead, it reflects the international influence of the Parisian school. This is L’École des Beaux-Arts. Many of the world’s leading architects trained there.

The “Mud Flood”: The “buried” lower floors of old buildings are common in cities with a long history. These cities have been continuously inhabited. This feature arises naturally over time. Street levels rise because of repeated paving. Infrastructure installation, like sewers and pipes, contributes to this. The accumulation of debris adds to the rise. What was once a ground floor can easily become a basement over the course of a century or more. This is a well-understood phenomenon in urban archaeology, not evidence of a single cataclysmic event.
Star Forts: These distinctive fortifications are often presented as evidence of Tartarian technology. In reality, they are known as bastion forts or trace italienne (Italian outline). This design was developed in 15th-century Italy. It was created specifically as a defense against cannon fire. This artillery could easily shatter traditional high castle walls. The star shape eliminated blind spots and allowed for overlapping fields of defensive fire. The design was so effective that it spread throughout Europe. It reached the world over the next 300 years, which explains its global presence.

In the realm of internet conspiracy theories, “Tartaria architecture” and “Old World architecture” refer to a belief. According to this belief, grand, ornate buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries were not built by the cultures historically credited. Instead, they are considered remnants of a lost, technologically advanced global civilization known as the Tartarian Empire. These architectural styles, which include real-world examples of Beaux-Arts, Neoclassical, and Renaissance Revival, are pointed to as evidence of this forgotten empire. Proponents of the theory often claim that these structures exhibit a level of craftsmanship and technological sophistication that was impossible for the people of that time to achieve.

The supposed connection between this “Old World architecture” and the “mud flood” is a cornerstone of the Tartaria conspiracy theory. According to this belief, a cataclysmic “mud flood” occurred in the 19th century, burying the lower levels of these magnificent Tartarian buildings and wiping out most of the empire’s population.

The “evidence” for this mud flood often cited by believers includes:

Buildings with windows and doors below ground level: Conspiracy theorists argue that these features are proof that the buildings were partially buried by a massive mudslide, and that what we see as the ground floor is actually a higher level of the original structure.
Photographs of seemingly deserted 19th-century cities: These images are presented as evidence of a “reset” of civilization after the mud flood, with the surviving population being too small to have constructed such grand cities.
The demolition of ornate “Old World” buildings: The destruction of structures like the original Pennsylvania Station in New York City is seen as a deliberate attempt to erase the evidence of the Tartarian Empire.

However, there are well-documented historical and architectural explanations for the phenomena that the Tartaria and mud flood theories attempt to explain:

Below-ground windows and doors: Historically, these features were common in buildings for several practical reasons. They provided light and ventilation to basements and cellars, which were used for storage, as workshops, or as living quarters for servants. In many cities, street levels were deliberately raised over time to accommodate new infrastructure like sewer systems, which led to the lower levels of existing buildings becoming submerged.
The architectural styles themselves: The ornate buildings attributed to Tartaria are well-documented examples of real architectural styles that were popular during the Gilded Age and other historical periods. These styles, such as Beaux-Arts and Neoclassical, were a testament to the wealth and ambition of the societies that built them, not a lost civilization.
“Deserted” city photographs: Early photography required long exposure times, which meant that moving people and vehicles would not be captured, creating the illusion of empty streets.

In conclusion, “Tartaria architecture” and “Old World architecture” are terms used within a conspiracy theory to describe real historical buildings. The “mud flood” is the theoretical event that supposedly destroyed this fictional empire and buried its cities. While the theory has gained a following online, there is no historical or archaeological evidence to support the existence of a Tartarian Empire or a global mud flood.

For more information, here is a video that delves into the history behind the architecture often associated with the Tartaria conspiracy theory: Falsifying History by Destroying Cities. This video explores the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, a key event that, through the creation and subsequent demolition of its grand “White City,” may have unintentionally fueled some of the narratives found in the Tartaria conspiracy.

A grand architectural structure featuring ornate details, multiple domes, and flags, set against a dramatic sky with mountains in the background. — A stunning view of a grand architecture featuring intricate designs and impressive domes, often associated with historical civilizations.

In summary, the narrative of a lost Tartarian Empire is a compelling story. However, it is a modern conspiracy theory. This theory reinterprets historical maps and architectural styles. The historical “Tartary” was a geographical term used by Europeans for a region of Asia. It was never a single, unified empire. It was not erased from history but simply renamed as knowledge of the world improved.