The yurt is a unique structure and the central object of the entire nomadic culture.
The Kyrgyz yurt is an intangible heritage of UNESCO and its role in Kyrgyz life is difficult to overestimate.
Once upon a time, in nomadic times, a yurt was a portable house. The nomads said: “Where there is a yurt, there is a house.”
The yurt is a collapsible, fairly lightweight design, striking in its simplicity and functionality. Apparently, the nomads had good knowledge of mathematics and physics if they realized that a round structure had greater capacity and could better resist winds.
- The traditional Kyrgyz yurt was built without a single nail, using only materials that the nomads had to hand. Willow, flexible, strong and pliable, was chosen as the material for the round frame of the yurt.
- Since ancient times, the frame of the Kyrgyz yurt has been based on 4 elements:
A lattice opening in the ceiling is a “tunduk” - a wheel covered with felt on top, which was moved aside to provide lighting and fresh air.
- Folding lattice walls “kerege” - they were assembled from slats, which were secured with straps made of calf or camel skin, which are particularly durable and elastic.
- “Uuki” bars were inserted into special heads on the “kerege”, connecting the “kerege” and “tunduk” and forming a dome. Interestingly, it is the curved shape of the “uuki” that distinguishes the Kyrgyz yurt from its counterparts in Altai, Mongolia and Tibet.
"Eshik" door.
Setting up a yurt has traditionally been considered a woman's job. Several women spent 1-2 hours on this, resorting to male help only to lift the tunduk. And now they are organizing tournaments for high-speed assembly of yurts. Best time to date is 9 minutes 55 seconds.
To this day, the yurt is of great importance in the life of every Kyrgyz. In the villages, almost everyone has a yurt in their yard. Toi (celebrations) are held there and the dead are mourned there. It is believed that the deceased should spend the last night in a yurt.
For a tourist, spending the night in a yurt is a special pleasure. The felt from which the walls of the yurt are assembled perfectly allows air to pass through and keeps it cool in summer and warm in winter
There are many yurt camps along the tourist routes. Be sure to stay in one of them for the night.
The Kyrgyz yurt is an intangible heritage of UNESCO and its role in Kyrgyz life is difficult to overestimate.
Once upon a time, in nomadic times, a yurt was a portable house. The nomads said: “Where there is a yurt, there is a house.”
The yurt is a collapsible, fairly lightweight design, striking in its simplicity and functionality. Apparently, the nomads had good knowledge of mathematics and physics if they realized that a round structure had greater capacity and could better resist winds.
- The traditional Kyrgyz yurt was built without a single nail, using only materials that the nomads had to hand. Willow, flexible, strong and pliable, was chosen as the material for the round frame of the yurt.
- Since ancient times, the frame of the Kyrgyz yurt has been based on 4 elements:
A lattice opening in the ceiling is a “tunduk” - a wheel covered with felt on top, which was moved aside to provide lighting and fresh air.
- Folding lattice walls “kerege” - they were assembled from slats, which were secured with straps made of calf or camel skin, which are particularly durable and elastic.
- “Uuki” bars were inserted into special heads on the “kerege”, connecting the “kerege” and “tunduk” and forming a dome. Interestingly, it is the curved shape of the “uuki” that distinguishes the Kyrgyz yurt from its counterparts in Altai, Mongolia and Tibet.
"Eshik" door.
Setting up a yurt has traditionally been considered a woman's job. Several women spent 1-2 hours on this, resorting to male help only to lift the tunduk. And now they are organizing tournaments for high-speed assembly of yurts. Best time to date is 9 minutes 55 seconds.
To this day, the yurt is of great importance in the life of every Kyrgyz. In the villages, almost everyone has a yurt in their yard. Toi (celebrations) are held there and the dead are mourned there. It is believed that the deceased should spend the last night in a yurt.
For a tourist, spending the night in a yurt is a special pleasure. The felt from which the walls of the yurt are assembled perfectly allows air to pass through and keeps it cool in summer and warm in winter
There are many yurt camps along the tourist routes. Be sure to stay in one of them for the night.
You can learn even more interesting facts about Kyrgyzstan on my blog or on my YouTube channel.
1 January 2024
author:
Larisa Bulina
Larisa Bulina
The traveler,
the founder of SARYKYZ
the founder of SARYKYZ
photo:
Dmitriy Bulin
Dmitriy Bulin
Yurt – a nomad’s house.