Nomad's culture

Yurts. Visit and stay in Kyrgyz yurts in Kyrgyzstan

Every tourist region is interesting, attractive and fascinating in its own way, with many sights to see.

We invite you to experience one of the most picturesque places in the country - southern Kyrgyzstan. South Kyrgyzstan is geographically isolated from the rest of the Nation's regions by severe mountain ranges, occupying the southeastern section of the Fergana valley. This was the ancient center of Central Asian sedentary culture in ancient times.

This region is unique, with its natural conditions and mosaic of landscapes. Southern Kyrgyzstan’s nature is fascinating and distinctive in any season of the year. In spring, you can see unusually beautiful mountains and ridges, and walnut forests in bloom. In summer, the original colors of the desert makes it look like the Sahara.

The yurt (yourt, yurta), a nomad's tent made of felt, has been the traditional abode of the nomads of Central Asia from ancient times to the modern day.
The latticework wall of the yurt consists of a few sections, called "keraga". The Spherical roof is made of long poles ("uuk"), one end of which are fastened to the wall of the yurt and the other end stuck in a hole in a large wooden circle that forms the cupola of the yurt. From the outside, the yurt is covered with felt, or mats, fixed to the yurt by wide strips of carpet, called "bou" or "boshkur". In the center of the yurt, a fireplace is located with a tripod to hold cooking pots. A hole for light and smoke is left open in the cupola. On cold or rainy days, the top hole is shut tightly with a piece of felt, which prevents wind and precipitation from entering. Interior walls are decorated with straw mats..

In wintertime, Kyrgyz affix 2-3 rows of straw mats to the walls, and the space between them is stuffed with straw. The floor is covered with carpets and sheepskins. Poor people could not afford expensive yurts, and they built primitive huts, called "kappa", round or rectangular in form. In those huts they survived the winter. Later, clay huts with reed roofs, or "chubtora" appeared.