Montana Session TBD: Traditional Mongolian GER (yurt) Building Class

NOMAD Science to host a family of traditional Ger Builders Fall 2018 in Montana

Course Description:

The Ger is a traditional Mongolian home – a transportable round white felt structure with incredible insulating properties. Any picture of the vast Mongolian landscape will likely contain small white dots – the homes of the region’s nomadic herding population. These cowboys of Mongolia live in the very versatile and time tested structures known to most around the world as “Yurt”, but called “Ger” in Mongolian. Made of wood, felt, leather and canvass, the rounds structures help the herders to maintain their nomadic lifestyle in a harsh, but beautiful landscape.

Two Mongolian *gers.* In the foreground a recently set up *ger*, in the background, the 'skeleton' of a ger in the process of being assembled. A wooden inner structure is first covered in a thin cotton covering, then a thick felt layer, and finally a waterproof canvas layer.

In this 3 week intensive course, participants will learn to make traditional Mongolian gers (known more commonly by the Russian term yurt). Participants will learn and work under the guidance of a family of traditional, professional Mongolian ger builders brought over to the US from Mongolia for this course. Typically, this family run operation in Mongolia builds gers for rural Mongolian families in northern Mongolia’s Huvsgul province. Teams of builders (up to 4 people) will work on building their own ger which they will take home at the end of the course. There are also options for individual observers (taking part in the course without making their own personal ger) and weekend classes focusing on particular skills (ger set up, felt making and painting).

Gers are still a common housing solution in Mongolia. Nomadic herders in the country’s vast steppe, desert, and mountain regions rely on these structures, perfected over thousands of years of use. Gers are one of the more iconic images from Mongolia, representative of a unique national identity and strong traditional culture.

These sustainable structures are great for off-grid living, camping, guest houses, vacation rentals, craft fairs, festivals, and more.

If you’d like to take part, you can apply here. If you have questions or want to contact the organizers, please fill out THIS form or email us directly at Nomadsciencemongolia@gmail.com.

EXAMPLE* Course Dates and Prices (USD):

*Course postponed. Actual schedule and dates unknown at this time.

September 29th – October 20th: Traditional Mongolian Ger Building