Yurt Types

The yurt or, as Mongolian’s call it, “ger” is an amazing product of the nomadic style of life, which has been transformed into present form and design over three thousand years. The Mongolian yurt has always been an important part of nomadic life as a dwelling place. The origins of the yurt go back to the beginning of humanity when people had to be constantly on the move.

Before they lived in flat sided teepees, then the dwelling became a conical kind of tent and finally became a modern yurt. The yurt is the most suitable home for the nomads who move perpetually through the steppes searching for new grazing lands. Living in yurts allows Mongolian nomads to live in perfect harmony with nature and the environment and to organize their life and livestock at the pace of seasons. This allows them to have a simple and healthy life. The great warrior Genghis khan’s campaigns were also accompanied by yurt camps. Genghis himself shunned life in a static palace for the more mobile yurt. An average yurt measures 7 meters in diameter and 3 meters in height. The frame is made of high quality local timber, selected from the forest by a yurtmaker himself. The roof poles, roof ring, and supports can be ornately carved and painted. The covers are made of thick woolen felt with a cotton outer layer. Mongolians always put up their yurts with the door facing south. By doing this they can use the roof ring, along with the sun to effectively tell time.