Yurts are known to be one of the strongest and most resource efficient structures ever created. This circular, domed canvas and wood structure integrates tension and compression components that allows the yurt to withstand heavy wind, rain and snow. Acclaimed by Architectural Digest as an "Architectural Wonder". Yurt's are remarkably strong yet lightweight and as versatile as your imagination. Yurts: A History The first yurts have been traced back to the time of Ganges Khan who used a sixty foot Yurt permanently mounted on a wagon and puled by Yaks. The average Mongolian family lived in a sixteen foot Yurt that could be loaded and moved by two yaks. Marco Polo, observing the nomadic people of Mongolia, noticed their sturdy, exactly-round tents made of rods, covered with felt, which they carried with them on carts. Yurts (or gers, as they are called in Asia), are still used today throughout parts of Russia, Mongolia and Siberia. The traditional yurt walls were made of slats of wood lashed together with leather thongs to form a collapsible trellis or lattice. The lattice was set up in a circle and the door frame was lashed into place. The hub or center ring was set on one or two posts in the center of the yurt. Roof poles connected to the hub and rest on the top of the lattice. Finally, the entire lattice is bound by a tension rope. Covers for yurts in Mongolia were constructed of felt ( the hair from Yaks), beaten soft by rolling and dragging behind Yaks. In cold climates, up to six layers were used for insulation. Yurts have been used in some of the most inhospitable and barren regions of the world including the deserts of the Sahara and Gobi, the Central Asian steppe, and the polar tundras. Yurts can be warm in temperatures of minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit and cool in temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. |
The serene, circular space of a Yurt seems to offer a more open connection to the natural world. Designed to be versatile, it can be used for many different uses. Whether you want to get closer to nature, or simply prefer the cost and space efficiencies provided by a unique structural alternative Yurts are becoming a fast growing alternative to conventional housing and construction. |
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