The Mongolian yurt (ger) is an all-natural, all-season, mobile dwelling. It is made of a wood framework covered in felt, which herders themselves have traditionally made from the wool of their own sheep. The yurt allows nomads to move their herds from season to season, making sustainable use of grasslands.
This video sequence shows a family setting up the yurt during a summer move.
The video was edited from ethnographic footage produced in 2012 in collaboration with nomadic families in the East Gobi, for the Mongolian Digital Ethnography Archive.
The posts in our “nomadic culture” series highlight various elements of Mongolia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage that are supported by the cashmere trade.