Yurts

Although it is uncertain when and where the yurt originated, yurts have been used by the Mongols of the Asian steppes since the 13th century. Genghis Khan and his troops most certainly used the yurt as the primary dwelling, and its use spread throughout Genghis Khan’s empire in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Marco Polo describes the yurt in his writings. In the West, the term yurt, which is in fact Russian, has been generally adopted to describe these structures, while in Mongolia they are referred to as “ger”. Today, yurts are becoming more and more popular around the world as an alternative and economic form of housing. Genghis Khan would certainly be surprised to find a yurt in the forests of Canada or in the Australian desert, but yurt’s can now be found just about everywhere in the world.

The yurt has many features that made it ideally suited for a nomadic life. The design of the yurt has evolved to suit the needs of its inhabitants. For example, the entire yurt structure can collapse into a package small enough for one horse or donkey to carry it and can be set up again in just a few hours. The yurt is warm and cozy even in extreme cold, yet it remains cool in summer. In fact, the yurt is still the preferred form of housing for Mongolians today. More than 60 percent of the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, is made up of yurt quarters. And yurts are not just used as family dwellings. In the far flung provinces of Mongolia, the yurt can also be the school, general store, or courthouse.

The yurt is extremely practical, as it is easy to assemble, dismantle and carry. In a traditional yurt, there are no screws and nails, just basically wood and felt, with everything connected by ropes. This makes the yurt very environmentally friendly and sustainable. The yurt’s round, open shape allows efficient use of internal space, while externally the yurt’s circular form means that the wind moves easily around it since there are no flat surfaces exposed to the elements. A yurt has an opening in the center of the roof to allow fresh air to circulate freely. The hearth is placed a bit forward of the exact center of the structure to allow the smoke to exit smoothly. Traditionally, the doorway of the yurt faces south with the men’s side to the west and women’s side to the east.

While a yurt can be simple and utilitarian, it can also be as decorative and stunningly appointed as its owner wishes. On the outside, some yurts have bands of colorful appliquéd felt while others use woven reeds wrapped with wool to create striking designs. Inside the yurt, brightly decorated carpets are fabricated in a circular design to fit the yurt perfectly and beautifully patterned fabrics can cover the walls. The yurt’s opening, although not really a door, usually makes use of flaps of felt with decorative stitching or patterned rugs.