The opera tries to show Genghis Khan in a different light

The rock opera is one of a number of events marking 800 years since Mongolia's foundation.

Lyricist Dojpalem Ganzorig said he wanted to show the country's founder - viewed as a ruthless conqueror by much of the world - in a different light.

"He was a good husband, a good son, and a good friend and I wanted to show him that way," he said.

"Not as a tyrant or someone with a bad character which is how some people see him."

The production tells how Genghis Khan united the Mongol tribes and became their leader against the odds.

It combines operatic singing with a rock beat, although traditional Mongolian elements like throat-singing and the horse-head fiddle also feature.

Ganzorig, the guitarist with rock band The Black Wolves, called the rock opera genre "the height of rock".

"I find it really satisfying to play rock with a full orchestra," he said.