Dwelling without iron and concrete, or What is made of yurt

Mankind has become accustomed to assess the level of development of the civilization of the peoples inhabiting our planet, by the grandeur of their palaces and buildings. However, no less sophisticated architects with a highly developed culture are the peoples who lead a nomadic way of life.

Their dwellings: yurts, yarangs, wigwams, tents, iglu, plague - even spoiled by the amenities of modern man fascinate with their beauty, simplicity, functionality and harmony. Perhaps, therefore, the art of erecting habitation of nomads - yurts - has recently been revived.

What is made of a yurt

The building material for it was mainly leather, felt and wood.

The walls of the ancient dwellings of the nomads were wooden poles, assembled in the form of lattice sections. From the poles, connected with a smoke hole, they made a roof. Outside, the "walls" and "roof" of the yurt were covered with a layer of felt.

In the center of each yurt there was a stone hearth. Stones for him roamed along with people, and when assembling a yurt in the new place, the hearth was first laid out. For the winter the dwelling was warmed, wrapped with an additional layer of felt and a moisture-resistant cloth.

Even knowing what the yurt is made of, you do not cease to be surprised at the ingenuity and skill of people who managed to build a dwelling without strong nails or a screw, from materials at hand, which can withstand strong winds and many days of snowfall.

Yurts of the Mongols

Mongolian yurtas are mobile, light, collapsible, they are the ideal home for nomads. At the heart of the yurt is a wooden frame, on top of which a felt felt in one or several layers is superimposed. To protect from snow or rain, the nightmare is additionally wrapped in cloth.

The doors of the Mongolian yurt are always facing south - this feature of the installation allowed the nomadic Mongols to navigate in time of day.

Inside the yurt is divided into several parts:

• Female - to the right of the door;
• Male - from the door on the left;
• Guest - on the north side, in front of the entrance, in the guest room necessarily had an altar.

All parts of the yurt combined the hearth, serving for heating and cooking.

The Mongols themselves call their dwelling not the yurt, but the word "ger".

Unwritten rules when visiting a Mongolian yurt

Since the time of Genghis Khan, and to this day, the Mongols adhere to a number of traditions and generally accepted rules when visiting the yurts. Do not prevent them to know and Europeans:

• Entering the yurt, you can not advance, and even more so sit on the threshold. The man who deliberately stepped on the threshold informed the owner of his evil intentions, and the door, touching the right hand of the door, brought peace and grace to the house.
• Weapons or luggage can not be brought into the yurt. They are left outside the entrance - this serves as a confirmation of the guest's clean intentions.
• Entering the northern, guest half of the yurt, it is customary to wait from the host of the invitation to sit down. Self-imposed landing is considered impolite.
• It is not customary to whistle in a yurt. It is believed that by doing so, evil spirits are summoned to the dwelling. Also, the limits of the yurt should not leave the fire from the hearth, because with him the master leaves happiness.

Yurt of Kazakhs

Kazakh yurt constructively does not differ much from Mongolian yurts. In comparison with the Mongolian they are lower, which is due to strong winds in this area. And their dome is crowned with shanyrak (a wooden circle crowning the top of the yurt) from a black talc or birch. Mongols preferred to make shanyrak from pine.

Shanyrak for Kazakhs is not only a cross that holds the dome and is intended for passing into the yurt of sun rays and removing smoke from the hearth. It is a relic passed down from generation to generation, a symbol of the continuation of the family and why it is at home. Many rites and beliefs are associated with it in the life of the Kazakh people. The significance of shanyrak is evidenced by the fact that its image is used in the heraldry of Kazakhstan.

The difference between the dwellings of both peoples is also in the fact of what the yurt is made of: the Kazakhs covered it with a felt cover consisting of 4 rectangular parts, in accordance with the parts of the frame. The upper part of the yurt, except for the shanyrak, was covered with 2 pieces of felt of a trapezoid shape. A folding rectangular piece of felt was fastened to the shanyrak, which, with the help of a pole and a cord sewn to one of the edges, could be thrown away or closed in case of rain. The doors of the Kazakh yurt were also sewn from a felt mat, fixed on a mat.

The more prosperous Kazakhs also had richer yurts. The construction of rich people's dwellings was decorated with patterned mats and fastened with woven wool from ornamented ribbons. Yurt of wealthy people turned into a felt white and popularly called "white house".

Interior of a yurt

Yurt is a symbol of the sun and cosmos, the unity of man and the environment. Almost all the objects of its interior are located along the walls, in a circle. It is clear that in such a limited scope, each object should have its own purpose and occupy a strictly defined place in order to clog up as little as possible the already tight space. Nevertheless, the decoration of the yurt affects exactly what causes a sense of harmony and space, comfort and coziness.

In the interior, besides wooden shelves, there are also items of wooden furniture encrusted with animal bones: chests, shelves, food boxes.

But carpet paths give a special touch to the dwelling of nomads . They bring a zest to the interior and amaze with a variety of colors and ornamental patterns. On the carpets it was immediately possible to judge the owner's prosperity.

Modern yurt

What is the yurta made of this century? Of course, from modern materials. Felt is replaced by holofayber, the wooden frame is made of glued beams, the outer fabric is impregnated with silicone, the hearth is a gas generator.

Yurt has become much more comfortable, although it is somewhat unfortunate that you will not see the real dwellings of nomads that are soaked with smoke and antiquity.