Yurt Mongolia. Time to travel: Secrets of the Mongolian yurt. Division of a Mongolian yurt

The Mongols became known to the world as skilled conquerors and excellent warriors. The nomadic way of life for this people remains relevant even today. However, their history, life, and culture are so rich that it is impossible to reveal their completeness within the framework of one article. We will consider the main moments in the formation of the Mongolian people, important moments in history, features of life and traditions.

Story

The ancestors of the Mongols appeared in ancient times. Archaeologists attribute their appearance to the Early Paleolithic. However, the formation of the modern Mongolian people begins in the mid-12th century. It was then that the name of the great conqueror Genghis Khan began to sound more and more often in Asia. Initially, Genghis Khan was known under the name Temujin, and he was named the Great Ruler closer to the middle of the 13th century.
The reforms carried out by Temujin helped the Mongols conquer vast territories. He was not just an excellent warrior, but also a military leader who issued a set of laws regulating conscription into the army. He is also responsible for the reorganization of the troops. The reforms led to the creation of a powerful army that managed to conquer China, overthrowing the Jin Dynasty. Then the Mongols began to conquer Rus'.
The Mongol conquests affected not only Rus' and China. The troops reached Europe and invaded Iran. Mongol warriors did not spare women, but men could choose between death or an oath of allegiance to the ruler. As a result, the Mongol army spread its influence to the territories of Persia, modern Korea and Vietnam, as well as India and Palestine. However, by the end of the 14th century, the disunity and struggle of the khans led to the decline of the Mongol empire. The fragmentation worsened, even despite the efforts of the descendants of Genghis Khan to unite the country.
By the 18th century, the last descendant of Genghis Khan dies and the struggle to rule the country begins. The Chinese Qing dynasty, taking advantage of the moment, sends in troops to completely destroy the great state.
In the history of modern Mongolia, several revolutions occurred related to the emergence of the USSR. Mostly they were peaceful.

Life

Modern Mongols mostly live in yurts. Residents of the capital settled in apartment buildings. Many people still use horses as their main transport. The country as a whole remains underdeveloped, there is illegal mining, and recent GDP growth has fallen sharply.
Mongolia does not have significant prospects for development. This is due to the large territory and low population density. Of the 3.5 million, approximately half of the population lives in the capital, while the lack of technology as such does not allow the country to occupy a significant position in the world community.

Traditions

Customs in Mongolia are strictly respected. The significance of history overshadows the influence of communism - the Mongols live by old traditions, allowing only Buddhism as a replacement for shamanism.
However, the cult of fire inherent in shamans still plays an important role. Each yurt has a fireplace that needs to be monitored. It is strictly forbidden to touch the fire with sharp objects, extinguish the flame with water, or throw dirty things or garbage into it. All this may offend the goddess Ut. Fire is used for many rituals, such as purification. It involves passing by 2 burning fires. Similar rituals are used not only in Mongolia, but also in Siberia. It is believed that the flame gets rid of bad intentions.
Hospitality among the Mongolian people has thousands of years of roots. Guests are received in the yurt and treated to tea. The hostess serves it in a small bowl, always with two hands. You also need to take tea with both hands. During meals, the “right hand” rule applies, which obliges you to take and pass each dish with your right hand. Here are some more facts about the customs and traditions of the Mongols:

1. It is forbidden to swear in front of a parent, show anger, or cast sidelong glances.
2. The son is obliged to protect his father's name.
3. You cannot cross the road in front of older people - this is tantamount to an insult.
4. The palms keep a sacred secret associated with fate. Therefore, they should not be shown to strangers.
5. Plants and flowers must be protected and not picked unnecessarily.
6. A source of water defiles the washing of dirty things.
7. Taking fire from the hands of a stranger is dangerous, as is bringing it into someone else’s yurt.
8. It is forbidden to step on the ashes. The spirit of the deceased can live in it.
9. Sharp objects and knives are not accepted as gifts.
10. They place a yurt only where there were no other yurts before.
11. The main gifts are usually given after leaving. The rest are presented during the meeting.
12. An eclipse is perceived with special trepidation. Lunar or solar - it doesn't matter. The Mongolian is forbidden to sleep, eat or drink during this time. Even lying down is prohibited.
13. You cannot spill wine or kumiss, otherwise it will bring disaster to your house or livestock.
14. Women are prohibited from combing their hair in the presence of men.

Housing

Mongols are a nomadic people. Yurts became ideal housing for them. After all, it can be perfectly unfolded or folded. This will only take one hour. The traditional material for making a yurt is felt. The main elements of a yurt are the frame and cover. The entrance was covered with quilted felt; now a double door is more often used. Windows were rarely made, allowing light to enter through the center of the roof.

Yurts have different purposes. Those intended for living have simple furnishings so that they can be quickly assembled. Guest yurts are very elegant. The doors of the yurt always face south so that the time of day can be easily determined. The sun's ray penetrated through the center of the roof and then slid along the perimeter, thus creating a semblance of a sundial. There are a number of customs that must be observed when visiting a yurt. Undesirable actions include:

• Visiting a yurt without asking;
• Close access to the yurt by car;
• Conversation across the threshold;
• Visiting a yurt with weapons;
• Silent entry - only robbers could do this;
• Entering the yurt during childbirth;
• Take milk or fire from the yurt;
• Whistling loudly means summoning evil spirits.

Food

The cuisine of the Mongolian people is characterized by dishes typical of nomads. Meat, dairy and flour dishes dominate.
The most popular dish is poses. These are hearty dumplings containing lamb filling. They are served with various spices that can diversify the taste of each dumpling.
Tsuiwan is a dish, an analogue of which can be found in Thai, Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisines. It is fried noodles with lamb.
Urum cream is a specific and rather fatty dessert. They are prepared from baked milk. In general, Mongolian dairy products are characterized by high fat content. Mare's milk kumiss and bovine milk butter are prime examples of this.

Cloth

Men and women traditionally wore the deli robe. A sash 7 meters long is used as a belt. Such a belt is necessary to warm the lower back. He protected the nomad from the cold air.
Dalys are still worn as casual and festive attire. In total, there are over 400 types of this clothing. During the reign of Genghis Khan, there were strict rules for deli. Thus, men's and women's robes did not differ from each other. The everyday version was made of cotton, and the festive version was made of silk. Fur was used as insulation for the winter. Interestingly, things were placed in the upper part. Moreover, even in the event of a quick jump, they could not fall out, since the belt securely fixed the robe. Everything in Daly is thought out to the smallest detail. The length allows you to cover your legs, and the high collar covers your throat. Therefore, even in severe frosts, when driving fast, a person did not freeze. The belt not only warmed the lower back, but also protected against pneumonia. Thanks to such a robe, you can even spend the night without a yurt. They lay down on the lower part and covered themselves with the upper part.
Previously, great importance was attached to flowers. Thus, the color red symbolized good luck. Nowadays, neutral colors are preferred to bright colors. Women choose beige, dark blue or brown. Men wear black, dark brown. The everyday version of the robe was made from satin, velvet or brocade. Festive - made of satin. There is a special summer style that is sewn without sleeves. Silk fabric is predominantly used.
Headdresses have a variety of shapes. Mostly they used fur, for example, sheep's wool or fox. Another remarkable item of clothing is the khadak, which could be embroidered with patterns, including those in the shape of people. Khadak is considered one of the best gifts for a Mongolian. Depending on the colors, the scarf could symbolize different wishes. For example, blue means calm. It was presented as a gift to the gods. Green symbolized the harvest, and red symbolized the flame associated with the hearth. Yellow protects against evil spirits, helps in work and study. The yellow hadak is very popular among Buddhists. White symbolizes mother's milk and is associated with the wisdom of the Buddha. Finally, the least used is the black hadak, which is designed to ward off damage.
Lastly, let's mention the shoes. Mongols use gutuls as shoes. They are distinguished by curved toes and thick soles. Felt serves as insulation. These boots are very comfortable when riding, although now they are no longer popular.

So, we have learned a lot about the Mongols. They differ from other peoples in their originality and the great significance of old customs in the life of society. Having managed to conquer vast territories, from China to Europe, the Mongols were defeated by civil strife and a strengthened Chinese army. Now the country is going through very difficult times, and its economy has just begun to emerge. However, population growth and active construction in the capital directly indicate that Mongolia still has development.

House on wheels
Prototypes of yurts, tents and huts mounted on two- and four-wheeled carts appeared in the Eurasian steppes at the border of the 2nd and 1st millennium BC.
Dwellings on carts were not the only or even the main ones for nomads. Convenient for plains, they were not suitable for mountainous, rugged terrain; Therefore, a dwelling was required that could be dismantled and transported by pack animals. This type of artificial dwelling is one of the oldest in the world. Even in the Stone Age, hunters used collapsible and portable dwellings such as the reindeer herders' tent or the tipi of the North American Indians.
The nomadic pastoralists of the Eurasian steppes needed to improve it by modifying the frame and replacing the skins with specially tailored felt covers. The earliest images of such dwellings are recorded in the painting on the wall of the Anthesteria crypt in Crimea (1st century BC - 1st century BC) and among the petroglyphs of the Boyarskaya Pisanitsa in Southern Siberia (2nd - 1st centuries BC .).
In Central Asia and Southern Siberia in the 1st millennium BC. e. Hemispherical huts made of curved poles were also common. Dwellings of this kind still exist among a number of nomadic peoples of Western Asia.

Invention of the yurt
Most researchers date the invention of the yurt to the middle of the 1st millennium AD. e. Since then, the yurt has spread among nomads from East Asia to Eastern Europe and replaced other types of mobile housing.
The oldest images of a yurt are preserved on a Japanese lacquer cup from the city of Nara (mid-8th century). Here you can clearly see the lattice frame of the yurt, covered on the outside with mats.

Folding walls
A key moment in the development of nomadic dwellings was the invention of the frame of vertical walls that could be folded and dismantled into links. This constructive solution should be considered the main one in the process of creating a classic type of yurt. Thanks to this revolutionary change in the design of the home, the useful area has sharply increased, the length and, accordingly, the total weight of wooden parts have been significantly reduced (by reducing the cross-sections) and, most importantly, a harmonious space has emerged. According to researchers, such a design appeared in the ancient Turkic environment (III - III centuries AD), probably in the regions of Altai, Tarbagatai and Tyanyian.

Turkic and Mongolian yurt
There are two types of yurts: Turkic and Mongolian.
In the center of the Mongolian yurt there are pillars on which a light-smoke hoop rests, supported by straight poles mounted on the vertical walls. Therefore, Mongolian yurts have vertical walls of about one and a half meters. The pillars, the longest and heaviest elements of the yurt, hindered the mobility of the nomads. The Mongolian yurt has preserved its original appearance mainly in Mongolia, Tuva, Buryatia, and Tibet.
In the Turkic yurt, a domed vault was created due to the curvature of the roof poles, which makes it possible not to install support pillars and free up the internal space.
The size of the yurt depended only on the number of bars, and from the same elements it was possible to assemble ordinary, ceremonial and camping yurts.

From medieval mobile yurts to the present day
In the Middle Ages, huge non-collapsible yurts, mounted on platforms pulled by dozens of draft animals, roamed the expanses of the Central Asian steppes. They captured the imagination of both Western and Eastern contemporaries. The image of such a yurt in The Book of Marco Polo, published by Henry Yule, is impressive. And here is what he wrote about this at the beginning of the 16th century. Fazlallah ibn Ruzbikhan: “... I was much surprised at the extraordinary structure of the houses, which seemed to be erected in airspace. What enormous tents I saw, placed on wheels! I saw vast houses with windows covered with very beautiful and skillful felt curtains. Near the homes of all the sultans and emirs, I also saw similar large tents and movable houses... that the whole headquarters is filled with these excellent... houses, so that the mind is amazed and dizzy from the beauty, skill and grace.”

To this day, the yurt serves as a wonderful summer room and is installed in the courtyards of rural estates and in small towns with private buildings in the south and west of Kazakhstan, as well as in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Nomadic life required that the dwelling be easy to manufacture, transportable and dismountable. The nomadic dwelling developed over thousands of years, the felt yurt (ger), ideally met these conditions.

Gar did not appear immediately. There is evidence that many nomadic peoples of Central Asia – the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Rourans, Turks, Uyghurs, and Khitans – had dwellings on carts. The most ancient literary-epic monument of the Mongols, the “Secret Legend,” mentions mobile wagons on wheels (Kozin, 1941). Mobile dwellings, mounted on single-axle - four-axle carts, were harnessed by oxen. They were “nomadic cities”, constantly encountered along the routes of European travelers V. Rubruk, Plano Carpini, Marco Polo.

Billem Rubruk wrote that “they put the house in which they sleep on wheels; its walls are wicker rods, converging upward in the form of a small wheel, from which a neck rises upward, like a chimney.” According to him, one such cart was pulled by 22 oxen: “eleven in one row along the width of the cart and another eleven in front of them, its axle was the size of a mast. At the entrance to the cart stood a man driving... oxen, and all the other carts followed at an even pace” (Rubruk, 1911, p. 69).

Plano Carpini notes: “For smaller carts, one ox is enough for transportation; for larger ones, three, four or even more, depending on the size of the cart” (Carpini, 1825, p. 95).

Marco Polo said almost the same thing about the Mongols: “Their carts are covered with black felt, so good that even though it rained all day, the water will not wet anything in the cart; they harness both oxen and camels to them and transport their wives and children.” (Marco Polo, 1873).

Mobile dwellings were used not only by the Mongols, but also by the Turkic, Kuntrov, Bessarabian peoples, Nogai Tatars, Karanogais and the peoples of the Lower Volga region. About the mobile yurts of the Kuntrov Tatars, P. S. Pallas (1770) wrote that “to move their wagons from place to place, they place them on a high two-wheeled cart, the so-called cart, so that they both in front and behind lie on the axle and like an umbrella, they cover the entire cart with wheels, put all their small equipment on the cart: chests, dishes and the like, then they put their wife and children in and drive off with all that... When stopping for a while, the Tatars do not remove the wagons from the wheels... "Like the ancient Mongol ones, the Tatar nomads seem to be mobile villages or camps."

In the 18th century among the Bessarabian Tatars, who also had lattice yurts transported entirely on carts, there was a custom of hanging a blue or white flag over the yurt on a pole. Flags similar to the Bessarabian ones, depicted on the Shishkin rock paintings on the river. Lena, could be seen among the population of Mongolia at the beginning of the 20th century.

Information showing the continuity of the use of wheeled transportation and non-demountable dwellings of nomadic pastoralists is available from Arab, Persian and other ancient authors.

The Arab geographer Ibn Battuta described the carts of the nomads of the Golden Horde this way: “They call the cart arba. On the cart, something like a vault is placed, made of tree twigs, tied one to another with thin leather straps” (Tiesenhausen, 1824, p. 281). Similar carts with high wheels, adapted to accommodate women and children during long-distance transportation and travel, are now available to the population of the eastern aimags of the Mongolian People's Republic.

Sharafuddin Iezdi conveys the name of the cart with the Persian word “grdun” (grdun - wheel, chariot), but for the name of the dwelling, which “is set up and removed entirely, and during movement and migrations they ride in it, placing them on carts,” he uses the old Uzbek term “ "commotion" (in Mongolian - in the morning). Mahmud Kashgari calls carts for transporting goods “kngli”, Rashid ed-Din points out that “carts in Turkic are called kangly” (Rashid ed-Din, 1951, p. 84). The population of the eastern aimags of Mongolia call such carts “hengreg”.

Razbekhan, the author of the work “Mikhman-Namey Bukhara”, written in Persian, introducing the life and economy of the Kazakh nomads of the 16th century, writes that “their houses, built in the shape of carts, are placed on wheels, similar to the celestial sphere. Camels and horses carry them from camp to camp, stretching out like a caravan following each other, and if they move continuously like this, they can stretch for a hundred Mongolian farsangs, and the distance between them will not be more than one step.”

He further notes: “Their houses, made of trees, rise high like palaces, and in their spaciousness they are like the world. The walls, made of white poplar, are very strong and their structure is brought to perfection. The top of the tent is covered with felt of various and rare colors and sheep skins. Sultans and noble Kazakhs live in them. These tents are beautiful, each of them can accommodate more than 20 people, sitting and staying in them. These wagons are mounted on wheels, and many camels pull them. I was amazed at their design, for, mounted on carts, they are very huge and roomy, and also have windows and vents on all sides and are covered with felt. Inside they are perfectly arranged and beautiful, just like the houses of emirs and sultans.”

Unlike the dwellings of the feudal nobility, the cart houses of simple nomadic pastoralists were modest in both size and design: they had an oblong shape and, made with the same skill and care, were transported by one or more camels. Doors were installed in front and behind these tents for the convenience of the inhabitants.

Along with prefabricated dwellings, the Mongols had tents of various sizes for housing - maikhans, adapted for the nomadic lifestyle of cattle breeders and hunters: jodgor - for one or two people, asar - for a large number of people. Plano Carpini wrote about such tents 700 years ago: “When we arrived there, a large tent made of purple had already been erected. In our opinion, it was so large that more than two thousand people could fit in it” (Carpini, 1911, p. 52). There is a mention of a small “jodgor” type tent in Marco Polo: “When going on a hike to a foreign country, they take nothing with them except weapons and small tents in which they hide from the rain” (Polo, 1873, p. 65).

Tents (maykhanas) are still used in the summer during migrations by cattle breeders and shepherds, especially in the Khangai Mountains region. Large tents are erected during ceremonies, sports competitions, and holidays, such as homecoming.

Mobile dwellings on carts did not have a significant impact on the development of nomadic architecture, because with the end of long-distance campaigns (including military ones) they lost their significance, were gradually completely removed from the carts and installed in the usual manner.

Over time, the yurt increases in size and improves in shape. It becomes streamlined, squat, and more resistant to strong winds. All unnecessary details and elements are lost. Thus, the tube-shaped felt superstructure on top of the yurt, which existed more than 700 years ago, ceased to be used due to its bulkiness (Bartold, 1903).

The yurt is easy to transport, assemble and disassemble. The entire disassembly operation takes an hour, and when reassembling it takes a maximum of two hours. Such efficiency during assembly and disassembly was achieved by the fact that all parts of the yurt were strictly unified and standardized. A yurt of any size has a modular system unique to it, developed and tested by life itself over the centuries. The study of Mongolian housing allowed the MONGOLIAN architect Dazhav to develop a theory for constructing a yurt.

In a felt yurt, one third of the total weight (without a plank floor) is the wooden part of the frame, for example, the weight of a five-khan yurt (khan - lattice) without a plank floor is only 500 kg.

Depending on the size and volume of the yurt, the total weight and load of its top cover, the required number of supports are installed to support the entire structure. Moreover, as the volume of the home increases, the support lengthens and expands proportionally in such a way as to withstand the entire load.

The most common 4-khan yurt does not have internal support, and its entire structure is supported by belts (khoshlon, buslur)^ which are tightened around the khan (lattice) and secured to the sides of the door. Loosening or breaking of these belts means that the khans will not have support and the entire top and side structure of the yurt with felt covering will fall apart. However, these belts can only support the load of 4-5 han dwellings, but no more. Therefore, in yurts with more than five khans, supports are made to support the top covering and give stability to the housing. In 6-8 khan yurts two supports are installed, and in 9-12 khan gers - four. Insolation, aeration and lighting in the yurt are carried out through the upper hole, which at the same time acts as a sundial for determining the time of day.

The assembly and disassembly of the yurt is carried out according to a certain technological scheme.

The assembly consists of sequential operations: installing the floor and frame, covering the wooden structure with felts, arranging furniture and utensils. Before assembling the frame, floors are laid. To do this, parts of the rims are connected, then transverse and longitudinal sleepers are placed inside them, after which the floor boards are laid clockwise, starting with the short ones. Then they begin to install and stretch the lattice walls - khan, which are joined together and secured with hair ropes. Having installed the door, the khans cover it with internal (upper and lower) belts, the ends of which are attached to rings specially attached to the door lintels.

Then the roof is installed. To do this, first, wooden poles (uni) are inserted into the hole in the wooden circle - tono, supported by a person from below, and the other ends are fixed in the heads of the lattice walls. First of all, four uni are inserted on four sides, and then, using internal wall belts and ropes attached to the tono, the correct shape of the yurt is achieved, after which they finish inserting the remaining uni. This completes the assembly of the wooden part of the yurt structure.

The frame of the yurt is covered as follows:

A white cloth is pulled over the upper wooden part of the roof, the lower and upper ends of which are attached with ribbons to the khans and tono, then the top felt blanket is applied. The side walls are also covered with felt blankets, a white cloth cover is put on top and covered with outer, top and side belts. Finally, the felt is placed on the tono and secured with ropes to the bottom of the lattice walls.

A wide strip of cloth or wooden planks (khayaavch) is placed directly along the lower perimeter of the ger.

In bad weather, as well as to regulate light and temperature, the upper part of the felt covering of the tono is opened halfway or closed at night with a rope sewn at its end.

The yurt is dismantled in the reverse order.

Before arranging furniture and utensils in the yurt, a curtain is hung on the wall, and the floor is covered with felt or carpets. A stove is installed in the center with a chimney pipe passing through the top hole of the tono.

The yurt contains beds, chests, wardrobes, bookcases, a sideboard, a washbasin, a table and stools.

As a rule, the whole family and guests sit around the hearth, located in the center of the home. On the northern side of the yurt (in the place of honor) there is a box on which there were usually gilded, silver or copper and other sculptural figures of gods or their images in drawings, appliqués, sacrificial cups, lamps and other attributes of the Lamaist religion. To the left of the entrance (in the southwestern part of the yurt) horseback equipment and wineskins with kumiss are placed. To the right of the entrance (south-eastern part) there are kitchen utensils, and the hostess’s place is there. The western and northwestern parts belong to the guests, and the eastern parts belong to the host and children. Valuable property is stored in drawers opposite the door, and beds on the sides. Hunting equipment is kept close to the owner of the family. Felt carpets (shirdeks) are laid out for seating. Special rugs (olboks) are provided for honored guests, and now, for example, small chairs.

The dimensions and volumes of the yurt are determined by the number of khans, i.e., the number of wall gratings. The more there are, the larger the volume of the home. The small yurt has 4 khans. It consists of 4 prefabricated wall links, the middle one - from 5 - 6, and the large one - from 8 - 12. (The numbers 7 and 11 were considered unkind among the Mongols, like the number 13 in Europe. Therefore, the khans tried not to install such numbers in yurts, and the Mongols considered the numbers 81 and 108 lucky).

The diameter of an average-sized yurt is approximately 7 m, while the height varies within 3 m.

The Altai epic says:

Among the beautiful mountains
Two white identical palaces stand
Khan's ayls have been set up,
Gold patterns are embroidered on them,
They burn under the sun.

The interior and exterior decoration of the yurt used to reflect the class affiliation of the owners. The yurts of the wealthy were distinguished by their large sizes, high-quality white felt covering, various expensive decorations, richer and more elegant decoration, and a large number of ornamented things. Rich people had several yurts, which were intended not only for the owner and his family members, but also for guests and newlyweds. The yurts of ordinary people were modest both externally and internally.

However, simple cattle breeders also sought to create a kind of comfort in yurts, filling them with things and furniture necessary for everyday life, trying to make each thing beautiful and attractive in its own way. The household furnishings of the yurt have always characterized the primordial aspirations of the nomad for the artistic decoration of the home. Products made of felt and wool, various fabrics, bright carpets, embroidery, weaving, ornamented products, including household utensils, decoration of visible parts of the yurt and much more created a unique national flavor.

The floor was covered with ornamented felt carpets. Depending on the technique of execution and artistic significance, the types of bedding are different. The oldest type of felt decoration was ornamented stitching, which was widespread. The artistic feature was the variety of motifs and sometimes very complex designs applied by the embroiderer at her own discretion. These are drawings of animals, animals, a stylized ocean wave, etc. The craftswoman was judged by how the drawing was made. And if the quality was high, then the hostess received flattering reviews from the guests.

Felt carpets, door curtains, and sacks and bags necessary in nomadic life for various household and household items were embroidered. Patterns were made on them according to a certain plot and motives, and characteristic, strict colors were selected for their decoration. The Mongolian yurt was decorated with ornaments on the outside. Thus, the “khalz-he” ornament was often applied on top, and “hammer” or some other pattern on the sides. Individual parts inside the yurt were also decorated with ornaments.

The yurt, thus, appears before us as a monument to a folk architect and artist and is an independent work of art, an act of ancient folk art.

I am writing about this in more or less detail, not so much as a researcher of the mobile architecture of Mongolia, but primarily as a person whose childhood was spent in this round felt world, in one of the yurts that roamed the lands of the Eastern, Khentei, and Central aimags. From that distant time, the feelings associated with the yurt remained with me for the rest of my life: a feeling of comfort and coolness when the heat reigned above the ground, a feeling of warmth and peace when the winds whistled behind the yurt or a blizzard began to sweep across the steppe. Since childhood, together with my father, mother, and five brothers and sisters, I have been involved in dismantling the yurt, transporting it, and installing it in a new location. She was an important part of the material world around me. And now, thinking about the history and fate of the yurt, I believe that it will, of course, improve, increasingly acquiring the features of a modern comfortable dwelling, but the steppe will obviously not part with it completely soon.

The creative experience of the people in creating a dwelling adapted to the harsh natural conditions of Central Asia is now being carefully studied by Mongolian scientists and architects, which makes it possible to proceed from a scientific point of view to further improve the yurt (lightening the weight, creating more rational forms in static terms, improving structures, their typification and industrialization in manufacturing). A very important property of the yurt is anti-seismic stability, because the round shape and hinged structure system resist well not only vertical, but also horizontal seismic influences and loads. The round and squat symmetrical shape of the Mongolian dwelling withstands strong winds, blowing mainly in the north and northwest direction.

In winter, the yurt is insulated: the dwellings are covered with double felt, the bottom of the lattice walls is covered with a special insulation. In summer, the yurt is cooled by opening one layer of felt at the bottom of the wall and installing ventilated floors.

The study and use of the laws of the formation of living nature in relation to architecture can help solve the problem of dynamic architecture. We are already thinking about such architectural structures in which the roofs of buildings would change as needed, rising and falling like flower petals, automatically regulating the microclimate of the room, in which the walls would transmit the ultraviolet spectrum of sunlight and “breathe” like in a yurt, ventilating outside air passing through it into the room, and the structures would automatically acquire elasticity at the moment of increased loads.

Architectural workshops and research institutes are working on the creation of mobile housing, when a separate cell of a house (apartment) could be easily and simply transferred to other living conditions, depending on the needs of the resident. The structure of the integumentary tissues of living organisms in nature is capable of regulating their microclimate. This feature can be used in architecture and in the design of building envelopes.

Fur (part of the animal's cover) performs mainly heat-protective functions and serves as a protective element of a particular living organism. Its analogies in construction are the enclosing structures of buildings: walls and roofs, or more precisely, some part of them. However, now they are less perfect in their thermal insulation properties than the fur of an animal and the felt shell of a yurt. The question arises: is it possible to use felt or felt substitutes and other porous thermal insulation materials in more advanced construction?

If the architectural form of the yurt, its design, prefabricated design, and air-ventilation ability were able to withstand the test of time in the harsh Mongolian climate, then it means that the yurt in certain cases can serve as a prototype of an integral architectural form, its further motive. It is no coincidence that in the Far North of the USSR and Canada, where the climate is very harsh, attempts are being made to create housing that is round in shape, streamlined, lightweight and collapsible.

Of course, in the search for new forms and solutions, one must rely on the need for functional justice of the forms, and on satisfying their technical rationality, economy, taking into account traditions, etc. With a round shape of structures, the necessary stability and rigidity are provided by pillars supporting a conical or spherical roof . At the same time, thanks to the transfer of movement to the ribs, and in the case of a yurt - to the uni, it becomes possible to install a light opening between the ribs, making the structure visually and materially light over a significant span. At the same time, the coating acquires new aesthetic qualities - lightness and transparency.

It is clear that we have a great interest in the modern, a craving for the beauty of our reality. In accordance with new aesthetic needs and requirements, new concerns are naturally born. In this regard, it is especially important to know the best folk traditions, which conceal the specificity of style and beauty created by the people and time-tested, because the basis of any great architecture has always been folk architecture and folk art.

We can trace this connection, and in particular the origin of national architecture from the form of folk housing, in the cultural history of almost all peoples.

Mongolian architecture, proving and confirming these provisions, makes its contribution to the treasury of world architecture

Hello, dear readers – seekers of knowledge and truth!

Mongolia – there is so much in this word. The imagination immediately paints a picture: the endless steppe stretches, the clatter of hooves is heard, and in the distance one can see a cozy round house, from which a stream of smoke runs upward. This article will tell you about the structure of the Mongolian yurt - what it looks like, what it is made of, how furniture and utensils are arranged.

You will also learn where the men's part is and where the women's part is, when the hour of the tiger comes, how to tell the time in a yurt without a clock, and how to be a welcome guest, feeling the hospitality of the Mongols.

What is a Mongolian yurt and what does it look like?

The great travelers of history - immigrants from Europe, such as Marco Polo, William de Rubruk, in their trips through Mongolia, met entire nomadic cities and were endlessly amazed by them.

Rubruk recalled:

“They put the house in which they sleep on wheels, its walls are wicker rods, converging upward in the form of a small wheel, from which a neck rises upward, like a chimney.»

It’s hard to believe, but even now, in the era of the Internet, transatlantic corporations and apartments in high-rise buildings, the majority of the population of Mongolia lives in yurts. Residents of Ulaanbaatar - a modern metropolis - even have an unshakable love for yurts, and therefore even in cities there are entire neighborhoods where people live in these compact houses.

Rural residents have been living according to unchangeable traditions for centuries. Driven by the weather and the condition of the pastures, they wander from place to place from spring to autumn. Sometimes you have to move several times a month.

But this is not difficult for them, because two people can easily disassemble and just as easily and quickly assemble a yurt or, as they themselves call it, a ger. This structure can fit on two camels, and the furniture and all other belongings can fit on a cart pulled by an ox.

The ger owes its strength and simultaneous lightness to the materials from which it is made: wood for the frame, felt and leather. The wooden frame consists of several lattice walls - khan. The size of the yurt depends on the number of these walls.

There may be 6 or 8 of them - then this is a medium-sized ger. And if there are 12 walls, then this is a large ger, which most likely belongs to a wealthy owner.

At the top, in the center, a smoke hole is installed - toono. Smoke comes out through it and sunlight passes through, because there are no windows. Toono is connected to the walls with special poles - uni. The result is a cone-shaped roof.

The entire frame is covered on top with felt sheets: in the summer - in one layer, in the winter - in two - after which they are wrapped with ropes made of leather or horsehair. This is done for the stability of the structure, which is constantly exposed to gusty steppe winds.

Yurta: a look from the inside

Mongolian gers follow one simple pattern: their entrance is always in the south. This is done not because of some ancient superstitions, but for reasons of practicality.

The fact is that until the beginning of the 20th century, the Mongols did not use wristwatches or alarm clocks. For them, home is a universal sundial. Thanks to the walls of a special structure, it was always possible to accurately determine the time.

The most honorable place inside the yurt is the north, directly opposite the entrance. Here there is an altar with the most precious things: sculptures of gods made of gold, silver or copper, their images, lamps and other religious paraphernalia. The most important guests are also received here.

The western side, which is to the left of the door, is traditionally considered masculine. Here is the bed of the owner of the house and his wife, as well as items necessary for truly masculine activities: hunting equipment, saddles, cattle harnesses, wineskins for kumiss.

To the right of the door, in the east, is the women's side. Here is the bed of the eldest unmarried woman in the family (this could be the sister or daughter of the head of the family), near the entrance there is furniture with kitchen utensils, dishes, buckets, food and other things that a woman uses in the household.

The most comfortable and warmest place in every sense of the word is in the center. There is a hearth, a stove, around which all family members gather. It has a sacred meaning for everyone, and the three large stones that form its primary basis roam with their owners and are installed first every time they move.

In addition, the rest of the beds, wardrobes, buffet, washbasin, chests, and tables are harmoniously arranged in the yurt. Felt carpets, special rugs or low chairs for sitting are spread on the floor, and the entire interior is replete with unusual details that are unique to a Mongolian home.

Products made of wool and bright fabrics, embroidery, original ornaments, wicker items - the housewife often made all this with her own hands, which brought unique comfort and originality to the house.

Wealthy people can have more than one ger. There may be yurts near the owner’s house, for example, for guests or newlyweds. Their homes were distinguished by impeccable white felt coverings, lush interior decoration, rich carpets, and more elegant dishes.

It is interesting that the Mongols treat animals, real and mythical, with special reverent love. They even name certain hours and the corresponding cardinal directions, which means yurts, after animals.

The hour of the hare has come - the eastern side (6 am), which means it’s time to drive the cattle out to pasture. The dragon has replaced him (8am), and it’s time to boil the milk and start cleaning. And so on all day until the time of the hen comes (18 o'clock) - the moment of milking, after which it was possible to rest until the next hour of the tiger (4 am).

Visiting the Mongols: how to behave correctly

Mongols are amazingly friendly and hospitable people. They, having heard even unexpected guests, are ready to drop everything and rush headlong to meet them. But if you stumble over the threshold, all the hospitality of the owners will instantly disappear - since ancient times it was believed that this is the lot of a person with bad intentions.

And these are not relics of the past; some rules are worth remembering even now when you are about to enter a Mongolian yurt:

• Weapons must be left outside the threshold, and the knife must be removed from its sheath.
• Touching the door lintel with your right hand is an indicator of good intentions.
• It is not customary to enter not only without asking the owners, but even quietly, inaudibly - you should definitely notify them of your arrival.
• The threshold is the important part. You can’t say hello or talk through it, you can’t step on it, you can’t sit there. First you need to stick your head in, and then step over the threshold.
• You should not bring in empty dishes, items for working on the ground, or any luggage in general.
• You cannot take out or give someone fire from the hearth or milk - it is believed that happiness can go away this way.
• Just like in Russian superstition, it is forbidden to whistle in the house - this acts as a call for demons and other evil spirits.
• You should not take photos without the owners' permission.

Even if some rules of behavior for guests may seem meaningless, funny or absurd, it is worth honoring the traditions of another nation, respecting its culture - after all, this is what mutual understanding and friendship between peoples consists of.

Conclusion

For the Mongols, the yurt is their little world. Here they are born and die, here there is a masculine and feminine principle, here the tiger begins and the chicken ends their day, here they receive guests and share sorrows and joys with their relatives near the family hearth.

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! Support the blog - join us on social networks, and we will search for the truth together.

The nomadic peoples of the Middle East and Central Asia have settled in yurts since ancient times. Portable dwellings that could be assembled and disassembled suited their lifestyle perfectly. For the inhabitants of the steppe, yurts became not just a home, they acquired a sacred meaning. And the decoration of portable houses is a clear example of the folk and applied arts of nomads.

But if we turn to a practical point of view, the choice of the round shape of the yurt is determined by the place where it is installed. The winds always blow in the steppe, and a dwelling of such a streamlined shape can withstand any hurricane.

The interior decor of the yurts consisted of a velvet or silk cover (for rich families), the walls and floors were covered with felt carpets. In addition to their practical purpose (insulating the house), carpets with intricate patterns turned the yurt into a kind of colorful carpet gallery.

The actor purchased a certificate for an extreme ten-day survival journey through Mongolia. The tour program includes horseback riding, falconry, trips with nomadic families and overnight stays in yurts. The Hollywood celebrity will be accompanied by Swedish explorer and traveler Johan Ernst Nilsson.

"When I organize these trips, I take people out of their usual comfort zone and force them to do something that they would never do. It turns into a journey within themselves," he quotes The Telegraph Nilson.

1. Where did the name “yurt” come from?

The word yurt came into Russian from the Turkic jurt. Initially it was translated as “people”; later, the dwellings of nomadic people, pastures and even ancestral lands began to be called this. The Kyrgyz language has the word “ata-zhurt” - fatherland or homeland, but literally this phrase was translated as “father’s house”.

There is a word similar in sound to yurt in the Mongolian language - ger, here it is also a synonym for house. It turns out that from the languages ​​of many nomadic peoples, “yurt” is translated simply as “house” or “dwelling,” which emphasizes its importance and significance.

2. When the yurt appeared

Scientists, historians and art critics are still arguing about this. The most common two versions: XII-IX or VIII-V centuries BC. The first version suggests that yurts are the dwellings of the Andronovo people who lived in the Urals, Siberia and Central Asia back in the Bronze Age. But their versions of the yurt are similar to log cabins, that is, not quite the same as they are known today.

But the dwellings of the nomads who lived on the same territory in the 8th-5th centuries are almost the same as the yurts we know today. It is reliably known that yurts were used by the Huns, Turks, Mongols, Kazakhs and Turkmens, but each people had their own options.

3. Why is the yurt round?

It would seem a simple question, which is the one most often asked by children. But the answer is not so easy. Today there is a lot of talk about the sacred meaning of the circle and the significant division of the internal area. But all these thoughts appeared much later than the usual form. Scientists claim that the nomads who lived in the steppes chose a round shape because it has the least resistance to the wind, which blows constantly. It was these houses that could withstand any hurricane.

Much later, physicists and builders proved that round buildings are also the most stable, and also much more spacious than their rectangular counterparts.

4. What peoples use yurts?

Many peoples of Central Asia, Mongolia and Siberia had yurt-type dwellings, for whom nomadic and semi-nomadic cattle breeding was the main occupation. The Kazakhs, Karakalpaks, Turkmens, Nogais, Bashkirs, Altaians, Kalmyks, and Mongols have yurts.

5. Are Kyrgyz yurts different?

Yes, the Kyrgyz yurt is original, although its design has much in common with the design of yurts of other nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, Southern Siberia and the Mongols. But the greatest closeness exists with the Kazakh yurt. However, our yurt is higher.

Kyrgyz yurts also vary. The main difference comes down to the shape of the dome. In the north of Kyrgyzstan (with the exception of the Talas Valley), the shape of the yurt dome approaches cone-shaped. In the south of Kyrgyzstan, in the Talas and Chatkal valleys, the dome is flatter and has a hemispherical shape due to the greater bending of the lower part of the dome poles

6. What parts does a Kyrgyz yurt consist of?

The yurt consists of many parts, each of which has its own name. Let's list only the main ones:

sliding walls of the yurt - kerege

dome poles - uuk

wooden round rim, support for the roof of a yurt - tunduk

the poles fixed above the door - eshik uuk (there are 3-4 of them) - are shorter than the others, since one end of them was fixed on the upper crossbar of the door frame (bash barefoot), located above the walls of the yurt

pole with a fork (cormorant). These poles support the cover of the smoke circle, protecting the fireplace from heavy rain and snow.

Felt for covering a yurt - tuurduk

7. Are there any rules for the interior decoration of a yurt?

The interior decoration of the yurt strictly complies with national canons. The right side of the yurt was called “epchi zhak”, the female half, where an “ashkana chiy” screen was placed to cover the utility part. The left half is the “er jacq” male part, where horse accessories, crafts and hunting items were placed. This is also the place where the master himself worked - “mouth”. Opposite the entrance there is a “toor” place for guests, where the “juk” was cleaned, dividing into male and female halves. This was evident from the layout: on the right side of the “juk” there hung a “tekche”, in which a woman’s headdress - “elechek” - was kept. And on the left side of the “dzhuka” was placed, “ala bakan” - a pole beautifully decorated with silver, inlaid with expensive stones, on which men’s rich sheepskin coats made of marten, fox, brocade and velvet fur were hung. "Kolomto" is a sacred place of the hearth located closer to the exit.

8. Did one family use one yurt?

It depended on wealth. Wealthy Kyrgyz, in addition to the main one, also had yurts for cooking and food. There were also temporary yurts - living rooms (meiman uyu), which were erected on the occasion of major holidays, funerals or wakes.

Rich Kyrgyz, giving their daughters in marriage, set up wedding yurts (erge), which were considered the main part of the dowry.

9. How to behave in a yurt

There is strict etiquette associated with a yurt. For example, a rider should approach the yurt from the rear. A guest is not allowed to enter the yurt with a whip in his hand or, for example, with his mouth full. Anyone who enters a yurt must definitely taste the food there.

In a yurt, you cannot sit with your back resting on anything, because this is the position of a sick person; it is also not recommended to squat or stretch your legs forward.

10. Who is using the yurt now?

Until now, the yurt is used by cattle breeders in Altai, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Turkmenistan. Also, a mobile home is popular among fishermen, hunters, beekeepers and tourists. In Mongolia, yurts are the most popular summer cottages, since living in them is much more comfortable than in ordinary brick buildings. In addition, yurts are very popular in the tourism industry - they house restaurants and hotels.