Inside a Mongolian Ger

Mongolian Steppe, c.600 BCE – present

When the wind howls through the Mongolian steppe, or the rain is beating down, Mongolian nomads have never really needed to worry. Sheltered inside their gers, they’re safe from the elements as they bunker down with the family in their homes.

Gers have been in use for over 2,000 years, and they have changed little in that time. Perfect for a nomadic lifestyle, the gers are easy to deconstruct, carry and then rebuild when Mongolians have needed to move to find better land for grazing. Always circular, the walls of the temporary buildings are made from lightweight wood that forms a lattice to make it easily collapsible, and this shell is then covered in felt and woollen covers before a layer of waterproof canvas is draped over the entire structure.

Inside, nomads have carried out their daily lives for centuries. There’s a stove for cooking and heat; an altar for shamanists and Buddhists to carry out their worship; and room for up to 15 people to live and sleep, with men in the western half and women in the eastern half. While gers have no windows, there is one door leading to the outside.

The striking and reconstructing of the ger has always been a family event. Taking between 30 minutes and three hours, the men build the walls, while everyone helps with the layering of the felts and canvas. Children learn from the elders in the community, just like in everything else.

The traditional craftsmanship it takes to build the Mongolian gers has recently become recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO – a recognition of more than 2,000 years of cultural heritage on the Mongolian steppe. With around 30 per cent of Mongolians still living the nomadic lifestyle today, and cities all over the country having ger districts, the gers are still just as much in use as they were 2,000 years ago.