The Tartarian Empire, also called Great Tartaria, is a set of false ideas that include beliefs about a "hidden past" and "mud floods." These ideas began as untrue scientific claims linked to Russian nationalism.
Tartary, or Tartaria, was a historical name for parts of Central Asia and Siberia. Some false beliefs claim that Tartary, or the Tartarian Empire, was a forgotten civilization with highly developed technology and culture. These claims do not match well-known records about Tartary in Asian history. Today, these false ideas suggest that Tartary covered an area from central Afghanistan to northern Kazakhstan, as well as parts of Mongolia, China, and the Russian Far East.
Background
The idea of Great Tartaria as a hidden ancient land or civilization began in Russia. It first appeared in the work of Anatoly Fomenko, who proposed a different timeline of history in the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Later, Nikolai Levashov, who promoted ideas mixing race and secret history, helped spread the theory. In Russian unscientific ideas, often tied to nationalism, Tartaria is described as the "true" name for Russia, which Western countries supposedly ignored. The Russian Geographical Society has called the theory a false belief and not real history, but it has shared many maps of "Tartary" from its collection. Since around 2016, online versions of the theory about the lost empire of "Tartaria" have become popular, separate from its original Russian nationalist background.
Conspiracy theory
A version of the conspiracy theory suggests a different way to look at the history of buildings. People who believe this theory claim that buildings that were destroyed, such as the Singer Building, the original New York Penn Station, and the temporary site of the 1915 World's Fair in San Francisco, were actually part of a large empire from a place called Tartary. This empire, they say, was hidden from history. Some people also believe that richly decorated buildings from the Gilded Age, like the Great Pyramids and the White House, were built by the Tartarians. The theory does not clearly explain how this supposedly advanced civilization, which was said to have brought world peace, could have fallen and been erased. Supporters of the theory also often say that Tartarians discovered a way to use unlimited wireless energy.
The theory suggests that a "mud flood" caused many people to disappear, which explains why some buildings have doors, windows, and archways that are far below the current ground level. World War I and World War II are said to have destroyed Tartaria and hidden its history, which is true because many historic buildings were damaged during these wars. Evidence for the theory includes the similarity of building styles around the world, such as domed capitol buildings or star-shaped forts. Some old photographs from the early 1900s show empty streets in cities worldwide. When people appear in these photos, they are often seen using horse-drawn carts on muddy roads, while large, ornate stone buildings stand above them. This contrast is also seen in modern cities, where poor neighborhoods exist near tall skyscrapers.
Zach Mortice, who writes for Bloomberg, says the theory shows a dislike of modern styles and a belief that traditional designs are better. He calls the theory "the QAnon of architecture." Moritz Maurer, a religious scholar, connects Tartarian ideas to another theory about "giant trees," where large flat rock formations are thought to be the remains of ancient trees cut down by unknown groups. Maurer says both theories lack clear stories because they are spread through image-based social media, which he compares to QAnon and calls "meme culture."