Copyright ©1987-2010 by Heather Daveno

The ger, or yurt as it is commonly called, is one of the two basic forms of portable housing that have been used by the nomads of Tibet, Mongolia and China since the time of Marco Polo. It remains today as the primary form of portable housing in Mongolia and Tibet.

The ger of the thirteenth century nomad was a circular structure measuring twelve to fifteen feet in diameter. Its walls were a five foot tall latticework, called a khana, made of willow branches that were lashed together with yak or horsehair twine. Willow poles were lashed to the top of the wall section and were brought together at the top to form a conical shaped roof. A single upright pole supported the peak of the roof.

Gers were covered with several panels of felt made of either goat or camel hair. The gers of thirteenth century Tibet were structurally the same as their Mongolian counterparts, and were covered with felts made from yak hair rather than goat. The number of layers of felt varied, depending on the season. Felts were soaked in either tallow or milk to repel moisture. The gers of wealthier nomads were much larger, and were coated with lime or white clay mixed with powdered bone, again white being a symbol of status. Those who were not as wealthy painted decorations around the smoke hole of their natural brown-black tents. The panels were then secured to the framework of the ger with ropes. The doorway, which always faced south, was covered with a flap of felt, which was either painted or appliquéd with multi-colored designs of birds, animals, vines and trees.

A Mongolian ger is always entered facing in, and exited by backing out; the wooden threshold is always stepped over, rather than on. This reportedly gave European visitors some travail, as they attempted to back out of a ger without breaching this rule of etiquette.

The floor of the thirteenth century ger was covered with felts, skins and rugs, which were laid over a bed of dried grasses. A hearth or cooking area occupied the center. An opening in the center of the roof, where the poles met, served as a smoke hole and a source of light.

The right side of the ger was reserved for women and the equipment they needed to keep their household running. Glazed earthenware water jugs, wooden pails of milk, baskets of cheeses and strings of dried curd hung on the khana. A cutting board, butterbox, dishrags and dishes, knives, cookpots and spoons were also stored in this area. A ger belonging to a member of the Kirghiz tribe would contain chests for tea, sugar and salt. Household furnishings in a Tibetan ger consisted of a brazier, a yogurt pot, a strap loom, a tsampa mill, and bowls and plates for eating. A salt box was kept on a low table, which was surrounded by cushions.

A low folding table, carved with religious symbols occupied the north side of the ger, which served Buddhist Mongolians and Tibetans of the thirteenth century as a altar. A Tibetan altar would contain clay or painted images of Buddha, a butter lamp, a bowl of holy water, another of tsampa, and holy scriptures wrapped in a yellow scarf.

The altar marked the division between the women's side of the ger, and the men's side on the left. Goat horns were embedded into the khana, from which meat was hung to cure. Leather bottles filled with kumiss, a beverage made from fermented mare's milk, weapons and other masculine items also hung from the khana on the men's side of the ger.

On the left side, near the altar, was the master's bed. To the left of the bed was a small square chest, which held clothing ornaments. On the wall above the master's bed hung a felt idol called "the master's brother"; above the wife's bed on the right side of the altar hung "the mistress" brother. Between the brother idols was hung the guardian of the house idol. At the foot of each bed were idols, which faced the servants , in order to oversee their work. On each side of the door hung felt idols that watched over the women who milked the cows, and the men who milked the mares. It was not uncommon for nomads of this time period to utilize aspects and objects of multiple belief systems; thus Buddhist objects and shamanistic idols would be found side by side and were used on a daily basis.

Mongolian encampments, or ordos of the thirteenth century were set up with families forming a circle open to the south, within a protective circle of wagons. If a khan, or tribal chieftain, had more than one wife, each wife had her own ger, and those who attended her often had their own gers and carts as well. The khatun, or chief wife of the khan, set up her ger at the west end of the camp; all other nomads of the ordos set up after the khatun according to their rank. Each ger was one stone's throw from the next, and one half a stone's throw from the nearest wall or wagon. Winter encampments in Mongolia were sometimes set up with groups of gers between two stone buildings.

In Tibet, winter encampments were surrounded by a dung wall, which I assume was used for fuel for their cookfires. Stockades and dung walls also acted as a windbreak, and gave some meager shelter to their livestock.

When it was time to move, it was the women's job to pack up the ger. The khana was collapsible, and a small ger could be dismantled in less than an hour. Each component of the ger had an appliquéd felt bag to pack it in, as did most of the household objects. The packing bags, food and blankets were strapped to the backs of packhorses and camels in Mongolia, or yaks in Tibet. Large equipment like pots and churns were strapped on to the top of these packed piles.

Chests, furniture and valuables were loaded into coffers. These coffers were square frameworks of split twigs with dome shaped roofs, covered with black felt and decorated with multi-colored designs. They were permanently secured to carts, and were never removed. They may have born some resemblance to the gypsy carts of Europe or the conestoga wagons of the early Americas. One woman would drive up to thirty of these small carts, which were tied together single file, and drawn by camels.

Wealthy khatuns often owned gers measuring up to thirty feet across. These structures were not dismantled, but were transported on wagons, which were drawn by as many as twenty-two oxen, arranged in two rows of eleven oxen each. William of Rubric noted in his journal that the axle for one of these carts was as big around as a ship's mast.

Marco Polo reported that the ger of Kuyuk Khan was made of white velvet, and was large enough for two thousand men to stand in. It was said to be supported by gold-plated columns, which were fastened to the beams with gold nails. The roof and walls were lined with brocades. Kuyuk Khan's ger had two doors, one facing south, and another facing west, the western door being reserved for the Khan himself. A wooden palisade that was painted with designs surrounded the ger.

Stories of a shelter belonging to Kublai Khan were even more fantastic. A day pavilion similiar to the one shown here and located in the Deer Park at Chengdu, was said to be large enough to hold 10,000. It was supported by three timbers, which were carved and gilded, and supported with ropes of silk. Legend has it that it was covered on the outside with lion skins, and the inside was hung with pelts of ermine and sable

For information on how to build a ger, contact Cherie Dohm.

For further reading:

• Tibet by Thubten Jigme Norbu and Rolin M. Thornbull, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1968
• The Travels of Marco Polo translated by R. E. Latham, Penquin Books, Harmondsworth, England, 1958
• The Journal by William of Rubric, edited by Samuel Purchas. Maclehuse, Glasgow, 1906
• The Mongols by E.D. Philips, Frederick A. Praeger Inc, New York, 1969