12/05/2023
Know your Yurts
Yurts appear in many cultures around the world. Each has adapted the design to it’s own needs, creating regional variations. The best well known yurt styles are from Mongolia & Kazakhstan. But yurts also appear in Afghanistan, Turkey and Iraq. The Kyrgyz Republic even has the Tunduk or Crown wheel of a yurt on it’s national flag. Some countries such as China have cobbled together various features to create it’s own commercial yurt style. Below is a brief description of each yurt style.
Mongolian Yurt (Ger)
A heavy wooden framed yurt that is still lived in by hundreds of thousands of Mongolians today. Closely spaced wall slats that are steamed bent to incorporate a curve. Roof poles are straight. Solid wooden crown wheel, door and door frame. Unique feature are crown wheel supports. These ensure yurt is stable in windy weather and capable of supporting snow loads. Mongolian yurts are covered by a unique combination of four material layers. A decorative liner, thick sheep's wool felt insulation, a waterproof layer and a final decorative outer layer. In 2013 the Traditional craftsmanship of the Mongolian Ger and its associated customs were inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Chinese Yurt
For sales purposes often labelled as a Mongolian yurt, they are not, they are Chinese through and through. An amalgamation of features from various yurt styles constructed in a way typically used by Chinese furniture makers. They do not use crown supports as any true Mongolian yurt would. The wall section are made from willow, a soft wood and incorporate a unique double curve not seen on any other yurt style. The roof poles are straight but are typically unpainted. These yurts are covered in fabric layers that again differ from a traditional Mongolian yurt, The outermost layer is a two piece canvas cover, the design of which is often seen on yurts made in the UK. It is decorated with Chinese designs.
Kazakh Yurt
Consists of a light bentwood crown, supported by roof poles that are steam bent at one end to meet the top of the trellis wall. This style of yurt does not use crown supports. This creates a light, open and airy design. However this lightness can result in the frame moving or flexing unduly during bad weather. Something that can cause a sleepless night for the uninitiated. Kazakh yurts are covered in the traditional steppe covering of multiple layers of felt. These can be highly decorative as the Kazakh people are famous for their needlework skills.
American Yurt
American yurts are the answer to a questions that had not existed before. How do you modernize a yurt? America's answer was to use lots of pressure treated timber, NASA style insulation, high tech welded PVC, acrylic domes and double glazing. What you end up with is a home that is not very portable but certainly yurt shaped. We feel this is a great use of technical materials, but one that perhaps lacks soul, but it is without doubt well made. However all that hi-tech comes with a hi-tech price. This is certainly a member of the yurt family and well worth looking at if your circumstances .. and budget suit.
