The history of the Yurt
The Mongolian yurt, or ger, is a round, self-supporting structure. The word Yurt is Russian for ‘Dwelling’. It is a nomadic shelter lived in for thousands of years by tribes from the near East and Central Asia. It does not rely on ropes or stakes to hold itself up; rather, the walls, rafters, roof ring, and tensioning bands all work against each other to keep the structure standing. Because the rafters bear the weight of the roof ring, no centre pole is necessary unless the yurt is very large. The Mongols would build their cooking fires in the centre of their yurts, opening a smoke hole for the purpose.
Yurt: (ger) Ancient Nomadic Shelter. Nomadic people viewed their shelters as a sacred spaces, and within all cultures the circle remains the symbol of unity, representing the wholeness of all things and our interconnectedness with nature.
Even though the original design of the Yurt goes back over 2,500 years, the basic construction of a yurt remains the same: a portable dwelling consisting of a folding lattice wall, with radial roof beams all leading to a central circular ‘crown’ or dome. As a self- supporting system, the design is so simple yet can provide a magical form of shelter for nomadic communities and, most recently, tourists all over the globe seeking an authentic and connected experience.
The beauty of the yurt is of course the simplicity of it’s shape, the round, of which we are so passionate; symbolises unity with nature and with eachother.
Those of us, the hardened yurt-enthusiasts love not only the simplicity of the structure itself but everything that it represents. The history of our ancient people and the symbolism of the circle itself.
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This photo courtesy of http://www.ernak-horde.com/ shows a Mongolian wooden ger (yurt). Common now in North America and Canada, wooden yurts are gradually repacing the canvas structure as a more permanent dwelling.
For those interested in reading more about the spiritual and anthropological significance of this humble structure in human history, there is a beautifully illustrated and passionate article written by Candace Rose Radon which must absolutely be your first port of call; link here:
The history of the Yurt is a deep and engrossing subject which has consumed the time and thoughts of many writers and historians. A fascinating book on this subject is:
Simple Shelters: Tents, Tipis, Yurts, Domes and Other Ancient Homes” by Jonathan Horning
Further sources on nomad tents – courtesy of Ernak-Horde | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The best source of information about any type of steppe nomad tent is Felt Tents and Pavilions: The Nomadic Tradition and its Interaction with Princely Tentage by Dr. Peter Andrews. This book discusses the variety and design of tents and carts that were used throughout steppe nomad history. The book also discusses how the camps were set up, organized and even some of the titles of camp officers and their duties. Here is a link to Dr. Andrew’s web site where you can find his publications and his curriculum vitae (qualifications, education, field work experience, research positions, etc.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
http://www.andrewspeter.info/index.html | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Below is a link to a review of his book. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
http://www.andrewspeter.info/files/Allsen.pdf | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Here is a link to an interesting article on tents in the Mongol Empire by Caroline Stone, who is the senior researcher of the “Civilizations in Contact” project for the University of Cambridge. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
http://islamic-arts.org/2012/movable-palaces/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
A few more books of interest:Circle Houses: Yurts, Tipis, and Benders by David Pearson Mongolian Cloud Houses by Dan Frank Kuehn Caravans to Tatary by Roland Michaud Tents: Architecture of the Nomads by Torvald Faegre |
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