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Mongolian
Arts and Culture > Ger
 GER
/ national nomadic dwelling /
Often mixed-up with the word
"yurt" (which is the Kazakh- and Kirgiz-style living
tent), the ger is probably the most typical symbol of Mongolia
as they literally are all over the country. Actually, most
Mongolians still live in the traditional gers, even in the
outskirts of the capital. For hundreds of years, gers have
been used by nomads who were living on the vast steppes and
Gobi, moving from one spot to another. Gers are made of canvas
and felt as bricks and wood obviously are scarce in the nomad
living areas.
A ger can be built up in 3 or 4 hours (depending
on its size) and usually are more comfortable then they might
look on first sight, although they don't have electricity
or water (apart from the ones in urban areas). Ger camps often
have a bath house and a toilet, serving the whole camp. Gers
are usually equipped with a wood or dung fuelled stove that
is used for both cooking and heating. The internal seup of
the ger is universal in all of Mongolia. From the viewpoint
of the entrance (which always faces the south) the men's area
is on the left, the women's area on the right, the visitor's
area on the left-backward side and old people's area on the
far side. The stove is located in the middle, as it has a
pipe through the ger's roof. Nomadic people who live in gers
are very welcoming people, although for a foreigner it will
be hard to communicate with them, especially as nomads have
many rituals and are very superstitious people.
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