For people all around the world, their home is a manifestation of who they are. Culture, interests, and family are woven into their dwelling, creating a unique place for them to provide and prosper. Homes are not just insulation and beams. They represent the needs and desires of those who live inside. An American home can represent our busy schedules and unique style. We decorate our house with abstract paintings and décor while leaving office space to tend to emails. For many other cultures though, a home represents their aspirations and who they are as people.

For herders in Mongolia, their ger (yurt) is a symbol of a lifetime of work. A ger is a cylindrical dwelling with one door that can easily be packed up and moved thousands of kilometers. The frame of a ger is made up of thin pieces of wood that connect on the ceiling, allowing a stovepipe to protrude through the frame. During the winter gers can get very cold, so families insulate their gers with felt and light the wood burning stove that sits in the center of the room. Many families choose to hand paint the wood beams and doors bright orange with flower accents, giving their ger personality and individuality.

The majority of gers are handcrafted by the family. Each generation is taught how to make their own ger so that they can one day live in it with their own family. Everyone from grandchildren to grandparents lives in one room alongside all their belongings. Outside they have their livelihood - their animals. They spend time outside supporting their sheep, goats, horses, camels, and yaks, in order to harvest fibers and get milk for dairy products. Once collected inside their ger, the entire family works together to make products such as felt from the wool or butter out of the milk.

The ger represents the Mongolian people’s nomadic lifestyle and love of nature. They integrate and include the entire family in their work, raising their children to be self-sufficient and caring people. A ger may not stay in the same place for very long, but for Mongolian herders, their home isn’t defined by a stable foundation. Their home is where their animals, family, and spirits can be free. 

Written by Annika Furman

Annika Furman is currently a student at Colorado College. She travelled with founders Bill and Betina across Mongolia meeting herders and experiencing the culture of the vast steppe meanwhile gathering stories and insight.

Photo by Summers Moore