On the steppes, the typical yurt,
Mongolian nomads assert,
Is far easier to erect,
Than most people expect,
When the family all labors in concert.
Behind the ornately carved door,
Yak-hair rugs lay on the dirt floor,
Yet the structure is clean,
And warms up to fifteen,
With an iron stove hearth at its core.
Near the south-facing door, sleep the men,
While in the rear half, all the women
Rest under the felt dome
That crowns their round home
Over wall slats, orange and wooden.
All the information above about the yurt is factually accurate. “Yurt” is a Russian word, by the way. Native Mongolians call it a ger (pronounced “gair”). It can go up in an hour, which well suits nomadism, and it’s surprisingly spacious, using ingenious traditional construction techniques and materials.
