DWELLING

DWELLING

One of the specific forms of nomadic dwellings is the gher (yurt). Historical information shows that until the end of the 19th century more than 100 large and small ethnic groups used to dwell in gher. Today, gher dwellers are mainly the peoples of Central Asia who speak Turk and Mongolian languages. Many scholars relate the origin of gher to the history of cattle breeding. The first known example of a gher among the nomads of Central Asia is the ball-shaped felt dwelling of the ancient Hunnu.

Definite evidence of the Mongolian gher at the beginning of the 13th century is briefly recorded in "The Secret History of the Mongols" and in the notes of travelers in Mongolia at that time. For example, the most interesting form of Mongolian gher is the "gher with neck". The French traveler W. Roubrouc, who traveled through Mongolia in the 13th century has given interesting information about this, in his book, "Travels to Eastern Countries". The "gher with neck" was called "Chorkhan" by the Mongolians of that period and scholars identified it as a kind of gher built on a cart. In such dwellings lived kings and lords. and also military authorities.

After the Mongolian empire the gher developed further into the classical form in which it appears today. The Mongolians were inhabitants of Central Asia for many hundreds of years and being nomad cattle-breeders, they mainly dwelled in gher. But after the advent of Buddhism in Mongolia in the 16th century some of the population turned to a settled way of life, dwelling in houses, and this change in lifestyle greatly influenced more and more people. especially from the mid-20th century. Today the light, transportable felt dwellings are indispensable to the shepherds' life. Of course, gher are erected in the city, too. The Mongolian gher has been thoroughly thought out and is ideally adapted to the nomadic way of life, being easily erected and taken down.

The gher consists of toono (flue; pronounced like torn), the support poles section of latticed walls, and uni (the bars forming the arched ceiling). The entrance must face south-east. The gher is protected by double coverings of felt, which are made for the outer wall of the gher, the ceiling, etc. Over the toono is set a square piece of felt called "Urkh", which is open during the day and closed at night like a window. Toono has several forms.

In ancient times the uni were constructed together with the toono and the toono would be separate from the central part; and in another form, there are holes around the tone in which the ends of the uni are fixed. The latter is more widely popular. At the entrance of the gher is hung the "Und" (door), also made of felt. There are many customs connected with life in the gher. One must not step on the threshold when entering it, and the felt Und must be lifted from the right side. But now this type of door is almost forgotten and wooden doors are constructed instead. According to the traditional custom the men-guests are usually seated on the eastern side of the gher and women on the other side, where the mistress is seated. However the gher may be, its basic construction proportions remain unchanged. By tradition the fireplace is situated in the center. and the kitchen is arranged on the eastern side. Beds of the master and mistress of the house are arranged on the north-east side. At the opposite side to the door, sacred possessions are displayed and on the western side of the gher other household possessions are arranged. A new gher is erected for a newly wedded couple. The gher is presented by the boy's family and its furniture by the girl's.

Of course, over the centuries the design of the gher has markedly changed. Besides their gher dwellings, Mongolian people also erect small gher for storage purposes. In some parts of the country this kind of gher is built square or round -shaped, and made out of willow and reed. At the beginning of the 20th century, most of the poor people used to live in gher consisting only of tone and uni, which are called "Jolom" and "Hatguur". This kind of gher is one of the oldest forms of Mongolian dwellings.

There are other interesting dwellings called "Asar" (large stretched tent), "Maihan" (small tent) and "Jodgor", made of fabric. Asar are erected on special occasions such as religious and folk festivals. Maihan are usually carried by travelers and hunters even today. Jodgor are smaller in size and were carried on the back by lamas who visited pilgrimage centers on foot and camped in these small jodgor on their way. Now these are no longer used.

Today in Mongolia there are a few Turk and Tunguus (Evenk) ethnic groups who are engaged in both cattle- and reindeer-breeding. Their dwellings differ from those of the Mongolians. The Kazakhs of western Mongolia dwell in tureg gher, while Turk families in the northern part live in rawhide tents. These tents used to be covered with wood bark, but now this has been replaced by other materials.