Tags
ger camps, gers, Mongolia, nomadic life, nomads, steppe, tents, Weekly Photo Challenge
When we build a house in most of the world, we start with a permanent foundation and frame the structure from there on up, and we hope and expect that our home will exist in that spot for years to come. In much of rural Mongolia, there is some beautiful house framing going on, but the resulting structure – a ger (often known as a yurt in other languages) – is a fully collapsible and movable one that has been used for thousands of years.
I’ve spent a good amount of time in tents the world over, and I expected a fairly similar abode when I went to Mongolia last month. I was in for a striking surprise in several respects. For one, gers are quite large and sturdy. Gers are sized in terms of the number of expandable panels, and a typical ger for a family might be a 6-panel affair. Each panel is an accordion-like grid of lightweight wood strips that folds up into a bundle that can be loaded onto a camel (or these days, sometimes a pick-up truck) for transport to the next season’s pastureland.
Between each lattice-work panel is a post, and the panels and posts are lashed together with leather or rope ties. Between the front two panels is a wood doorframe and heavy wood door.
In a ger of this size, there are usually at least three couches or beds that serve in those capacities, respectively, during daytime and night. One side of the ger is used for food preparation, and other sections have traditionally been designated for men, women, children, and guests. In the center of the ger is a wood-burning stove whose chimney rises through a hole in the tent’s ceiling.
My second surprise was how complex and stunning those ceiling designs were, in both the gers for tourists and those of the nomadic families. An open circle, or crown, at the top of the tent has a series of radiating poles – a gorgeous geometric array of orange or red painted rafters – that settle onto the side panels. This roof is often self-supporting, but in larger gers, it may sit on the support posts between the side panels. The crown is partially open for the stovepipe and for air circulation, but it can be covered with a canvas tarp that usually lies over the roof for extra protection.
The entire structure is covered with felt, usually made from sheep or goat wool from the family’s animals. This material insulates the ger in both hot and cold weather and is often wrapped again in a canvas covering that is more water- and sunproof. The entire tent is held together by long ropes tied horizontally around the dwelling.
(As a fun aside, we visited the Mongolian version of Costco one day to gather supplies outside Ulaanbaatar, and what should we find in the back of the store but a generic ger! Like most things in a big box store, this one was plain and characterless.)
Gers are round in order to redirect the fierce winds on the open steppe. Their circular shape helps them resist gusts from any direction, which is critical in a place with no natural windbreaks like trees or tall grasses and shrubs, and their rounded tops protect the roof from being ripped off.
A nomadic family can disassemble and reassemble a ger in an hour or two, and most family-sized gers can be transported on two or three camels. We were lucky to see one camel loaded up with long poles as the summer grazing season was coming to an end during our trip.
We were even luckier to spend half of our nights in Mongolia in these aesthetically pleasing and comfortable tents. I loved tucking my modern belongings into the lattice-work walls that have characterized these gers for centuries. I slept like a baby with my crown view of the stars and my door open to the sweeping grasslands (in spite of a hungry visitor one night – a vole? – who ate my snacks right out of my backpack, and a toad that hopped in one night after it was too dark to find him to scoot him out). We visited a number of families on the steppe and in the Gobi Desert, sitting around their stoves and enjoying their unmatched hospitality in their cheerful gers.
I think a good quarter of my photos are of gers – gers at sunrise, gers in the distance, gers on a glowing evening, and gers with their charming owners – and I’m sure one of those remembrances will end up in a frame of its own on my wall one of these days!
Part of a series of posts on my trip to Mongolia in August 2016. Other posts can be found here:
Danshig Naadam: https://lexklein.wordpress.com/2016/09/06/danshig-naadam/
A Steppe Out of Time: https://lexklein.wordpress.com/2016/08/19/a-steppe-out-of-time/
Ulaanbaatar’s Contrasts and Surprises: https://lexklein.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/ulaanbaatars-contrasts-and-surprises/
Nothing Narrow Here: https://lexklein.wordpress.com/2016/08/01/nothing-narrow-here/
amandarenee0224 said:
Amazing photos and story! I’ve seen yurts plenty of times, but had no idea of their history or current uses. Thanks for sharing!
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lexklein said:
Thank you! They were such cool places to stay in, but even better, it was so fascinating to visit the families who live in them full-time. Picking up and moving these spacious living quarters four times a year is hard to imagine.
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amandarenee0224 said:
It is hard to imagine! You’d really have to master the art of living simply. You are right, it sounds fascinating and very inspiring.
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Uma Srinivasan said:
The pictures are amazing. They narrate a story of their own. The gers look like a piece of art. Wow….simply wow
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lexklein said:
Thanks! I wish I had captured more aspects of the interiors, but it felt a little rude to be snapping photos of the gers with their owners sitting right there! They really were so decorative and colorful inside – a huge surprise to me – and even the exteriors were fascinating. Thanks for reading!
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Uma Srinivasan said:
Totally agree. But it’s more like a tribute to their culture and the way of living. Really awesome
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Alison and Don said:
I’m familiar with yurts of course, but didn’t full understand how they were put together, or that they are so efficient, so thank you for this detailed explanation. *Gorgeous* ceilings! And doors! I had no idea. I just had a quick look at your beautiful photos from Mongolia on Instagram. I think I too would be taking many pictures of gers. Is it pronounced with a hard or soft ‘g’.
Alison
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lexklein said:
I am seriously holding myself back on the ger photos – both here and on Instagram! I went nuts! (It is pronounced with a hard G and the vowel rhymes with WHERE. Something like GEHR although some people even say it more like GEAR.)
The beautifully painted roof poles and crown were such a surprise. And all their furniture is painted to match (or vice versa?). In any case, it is very cheerful and colorful – a perfect match to the personalities of these outgoing, generous people.
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Bama said:
I’ve never seen such detailed ceiling of a ger before. It’s absolutely beautiful! The bed itself actually looks quite comfortable as I expected it to be more basic. During your stay in a ger did you experience one night with a really strong gust? I wonder how it would feel like.
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lexklein said:
Bama, the ceilings were incredible – colorful and intricate. I still don’t see how they got that round part on a camel! Some of the beds looked more comfortable than they were. The smaller beds pictured here were like rocks – very, very hard with stiff covers. The bigger bed was the most luxurious one, but that ger had no electricity and no running water (which I don’t mind). And yes, one night we had howling winds that I swore would rip the fabric off the tent, but it was fully intact the next morning!
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LaVagabonde said:
They sure are swanky structures. I love how they are decorated with such care. Too bad you couldn’t bring one back in your luggage. It would look fabulous in a backyard. Make the neighbors jealous. 😉
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lexklein said:
Aren’t they shockingly fancy for a portable tent?! I thought they had put those beautifully detailed red and orange poles in just our tourist gers, but no – all the nomads we saw had the same artistic decorations in their gers. In lieu of my own ger, I brought back hundreds of photos of them – haha – although I have to say I could easily live in one for a while!
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anna said:
How interesting! Thanks for sharing.
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lexklein said:
Thanks! They were such cool structures and I’m so glad we spent so much time staying in them.
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Pilgrim said:
Wonderful photos and story. Am jealous for this I long to do. One day, God willing.
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lexklein said:
Thank you! Hope you get to experience Mongolia, its people, and the gers one day soon!
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The Snow Melts Somewhere said:
Love the painted decorations on that wood furniture. Very interesting post!
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lexklein said:
Thanks – that was the biggest surprise. I though the gers would be very rudimentary and certainly not so colorfully decorated!
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Debbie said:
ah… memories. I also experienced that some families had two gers – one for living in, as you have described, and another one was like a kitchen ger, with a big cooking pot and lots of animal guts and not much else!
the stars at night were something else!
i remember going into a store in Ulanbatar, like you, and seeing little two person tents like we’d see at home, and really wondering in a nation whoses homes are gers, who’d buy them. I later found out. Town dwellers would use them for weekends away, visiting their relatives on the grasslands, and some families living in gers would have a spare two person tent in case too many visitors came!
more ger photos please! more mongolian photos! there can never be too many! 🙂
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lexklein said:
Debbie, you are right about the double gers. The big family we visited did have a second tent for the kids to sleep in. I thought about putting that in the post (that, and a lot more – haha), but I realized I was getting away from the main idea of how the ger was made in the first place. I thought the same thing about the tents for sale in the State Department Store in UB, but then I saw them being used at a big festival outside of town; the people used them for weekends away at events like Naadam. Big post on Danshig Naadam festival coming up soon!
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Abrie Joubert said:
Thank you that certainly gerenated my interest!
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lexklein said:
I’m glad to hear that! I learned so much in Mongolia about other people live, and my blog is a fun way to share that! Thanks for reading.
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James said:
Lex, this is such a fascinating account of your stay in Mongolia and an unconventional take on a photo theme. I had no idea gers were so elaborate or so ornately decorated – the cheerful painted rafters were a big surprise. And their designs are just ingenious, from the wind-resistant shape to the accordion-like lattices and the retractable roof at the crown. Thank you for sharing all those detailed explanations. I’m not surprised you photographed the motif of the never-ending knot on the door!
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lexklein said:
Your sharp eyes caught that endless knot’s similarity to my gravatar image! Those symbols were all over Mongolia – almost even more than in Tibet and Nepal where I first encountered it and bought the medallion that is the basis of that image. It was used decoratively on so many buildings, on clothing, on accent pieces; everything everywhere bore that endless knot motif! And yes, the gers were so much more colorful and complex than I had imagined. And they were quite spacious and comfortable – I loved them so much!
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Sreejith Nair said:
Beautiful post,
I could very well relate to this story, as my colleague has just finished his Mongolian trip with ‘https://www.gertoger.org/’ as part of Asia Europe People’s Forum conference…
As you said, the concept of ‘House’ and ‘Settled Life’ is totally different in this part of the world, right?
We hardly had any idea about this beautiful country and it’s wonderful people…
Thank you so much for sharing and have a beautiful day ahead 🙂
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lexklein said:
Thank you for these interesting comments! I even like the sound of that organization: ger to ger. Next time (if I’m lucky) I will check them out. It really is so fascinating to learn about lifestyles that are so completely different from our own, and in this case, the friendly people really added to our pleasure! You have a great day, too!
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Curt Mekemson said:
They are much more elaborate than I expected, Lex. I am used to much simpler versions. Our neighbor even has one. Thanks for a very interesting blog. I am looking forward to more of your photos… Don’t hold back. 🙂 –Curt
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Curt! I’m going to guess and say your neighbor has one that looks more like the “Mongolian Costco” version! They were no-frills affairs, but I’m sure they still do the trick of providing commodious space and portability – the two main things they need to have!
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Curt Mekemson said:
Definitely the Costco version, Lex. 🙂 –Curt
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twobrownfeet said:
I’m drooling! 🙂 Loved each ‘frame’ and capture of your stay in a ger. There’s so much warmth in these settlements. That’s what strikes me the most. The simplicity of their life is very much viable — even today. I’m surrounded by development and yet, quite often, there seems to be a void. The vast open expanses of space and field are alluring. Makes me wonder, and imagine how life would be there?
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lexklein said:
It’s interesting that you mention warmth in the nomadic “community.” Even though they are so far from their neighbors or permanent towns, the people we met seem very socialized. They are used to having company drop in, and their spirit of hospitality is second to none! It’s a fascinating way to live; we city dwellers could learn from them!
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twobrownfeet said:
I know, it must seem strange. We’ve visited ethnic communities and tribes (not necessarily nomadic), in isolated locales of the northern and northeastern parts of India. Their hospitality (with the bare minimum) and warmth was something I find hard to forget. You say it well: there’s lot’s we could learn from them. 🙂
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Suvi said:
What a cool glimpse inside a ger! I have always wondered what it looks like inside 🙂
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lexklein said:
I always wondered also – somehow I thought it would be much plainer!
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Sue Slaght said:
These are so fascinating! I loved seeing the intricacies of the design. I had no idea how decorative they would be inside. Guess what? I recently saw one in a big box store in Canada. Apparently an international trend. No pretty designs though.
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Sue – it seems to be shocking to a lot of people, including me! I think yurts are a thing now, so it doesn’t surprise me that they are popping up in western stores. I can guarantee none of them is as attractive as the real deals!
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awtytravels said:
So, is it ger or yurt? Me is confused! Anyhow, I wonder how long it’d take for me to erect and disassemble a ger, compared with your average nomad family. I suspect three days, and an impressive amount of curses.
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lexklein said:
Most of us know the word yurt because that is close to the Russian word and the old Turkic word. But in the Mongolian language, they are only called gers. I laughed out loud at your ger assembly time estimate, which is probably pretty close to mine! We had a chance to put up a ger with a family, but the wind kicked up that evening and they decided it was too risky (probably not for them but for all us fumbling, inept city dwellers!).
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Amy Sampson said:
Neat! What was the price of the Costco version?
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lexklein said:
Someone told me that one was $1000, but I did not check its price tag myself!
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Amy Sampson said:
Wow! What a deal!
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AndysWorldJourneys said:
truly the ultimate in tents! I really want to spend at least one night in a yurt next year!
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lexklein said:
You will love it! Be sure to show us the pics! 🙂
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Tina Schell said:
Wow Lex, this is truly amazing. Thanks so much for the post. Loved it!
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Tina – they were such cool structures! I love spending time in mine.
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Angeline M said:
Incredible structures! How intricate and beautiful. I noticed that little piece of rug showing in the second to last photo, really making this ger seem very comfy.
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lexklein said:
Yes, most of the gers had nice flooring to make them cozy. That one you mentioned was the ger of the herding family that let us ride their camels through the Gobi Desert! The ones I stayed in had some throw rugs but nothing as fancy as this one!
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lisadorenfest said:
What a PERFECT entry for the Frame challenge. I said it once but I will say it again. I gotta getta Ger. I believe that more now than ever with this post. I am blown away bu the attention to detail and comfort that these ‘mobile homes’ have, They are functional yet way beyond aesthetically pleasing. I think I would have slept like a baby in one as well.
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lexklein said:
Lisa, I was captivated by the gers also! I not only loved sleeping in them but just sitting in there – reading, making tea, watching the world go by through the open door. The fact that they were so colorful and intricate inside was just a bonus because the real appeal (to me) was their setting out in the middle of nowhere.
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lisadorenfest said:
I totally get the appeal of being in the middle of nowhere. That is how I feel on the open ocean. Total peace, serenity, and endless freedom.
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Shelley @Travel-Stained said:
Wonderful information and gorgeous photos! The ceilings really are stunningly beautiful!
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lexklein said:
Thanks, Shelley! Are you back home now? I’m trying to write a post about my time in Seoul but keep getting sidetracked by all the things I want to write about Mongolia!
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Shelley @Travel-Stained said:
We just arrived back yesterday evening, and Naia seems to be sleeping off the biggest travel hangover ever. Hahaha. I’ve never seen her sleep this much ever. Poor baby. I love your Mongolia posts, but definitely looking forward to reading about your impressions of Seoul! 🙂
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lexklein said:
Wow – you were gone so long! I keep pushing off a Seoul post, in part because there was just so much to document in several weeks in Mongolia and partly because my photos from Seoul are hazy (which makes sense, given the haziness! 🙂 ). But I promise one is coming soon! Hope all goes well with reacclimation!
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darwinontherocks said:
Oh wow, this is fascinating. I’ve seen it’s possible to sleep in a yurt here in the UK. They call it Glamping. Glamourous Camping 🙂 I kind of want to try but I suppose it’s nothing compared to the real experience 🙂
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lexklein said:
I’ve seen lots of glamping advertisements and I can assure you that a basic ger, while quite attractive, does not have the creature comforts offered by these newer camps! It would be fun, though! (I didn’t even mind having no electricity or running water in some of my gers; it made them that much more unique!)
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darwinontherocks said:
yes, the authentic experience must be really better but at least you can have a little taste of this kind of lodging 🙂 I don’t think people would pay for a lodging in the uk without water or electricity, so they probably had to adapt a bit 😀
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restlessjo said:
Incredible structures, aren’t they? I love all the details. 🙂
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lexklein said:
It’s just hard to imagine that whole thing folding up into loads that can travel by camels to another spot several times a year! The fact that it’s also beautiful inside is a big bonus!
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anywherewithbrooke said:
I just found the “suggested sites” button, and I am so glad that I did because I found your blog! It is so interesting!!!! I can’t wait to read more, I just had to stop by and share some love! You deserve it!
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lexklein said:
Well, I’m glad you found me! (I don’t even know what that “suggested sites” button is.) I appreciate your kind comments and will go check your blog out as well!
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justbluedutch said:
Lovely photos..you really show what is the magnet Mongolia has. It’s one of my Bucket List.Looking at your travel photos made me think how different the ways of life over there, so unique, and so rich culturally.
You are lucky to see these by your eyes. It must have enrich you.
Thank you so much for sharing.
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lexklein said:
Thank you for all your nice comments. Mongolia was very culturally enriching; it’s so different from our western way of life and yet our interactions were so simple and easy – the way the world was meant to be, I think! I do feel very lucky to have seen it with my own eyes. I had dreamed of going to Mongolia for many years and finally found a way to go that was not as expensive and also offered me an entree to the local people, which is what I like most about traveling. It was an ideal trip and I’m happy to share it with other Mongolia-philes!
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Jeff Bell said:
That is so cool. I had no idea the insides could be so elaborate, and I didn’t know why they were round but that makes total sense.
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lexklein said:
I knew none of that either, and I think that was part of the fun and allure! I’d read so much about Mongolian history and nomadic lifestyles, but never actually saw much about the basic ger, one of the constants of Mongolian life. The fact that it was such positive surprise was all the better!
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