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Yurts along with tipi's, Mongolian gers, berber tents,
are fast becoming popular for their many uses, as either
a temporary structure or as more permanent home.
Yurts have their origins in a nomadic lifestyle, in mongolia
a ger was an ideal way of making a home on the steppes,
the Moroccan Berber tent, a refuge from the sun, American
Indians tipi, a portable home to follow game on the plains.
History:
Mongolian Gers/yurts - The word "yurt" actually
means "homeland" or "domain".
The Khana (walls) of the yurts were traditionally made
of bamboo or small tree saplings and tied together using
leather and the wall and roof coverings were made of felt
taken from the yak's used as pack animals.
The Mongolian ger is built to withstand some of the hardest
climate extremes with temperatures regularly falling to
minus 40 degrees in winter, at least three quarters of
the mongolian population live in gers and have done for
thousands of years.
The average size is 18-20ft in diameter with the side
walls around 4ft high, but the centre allows plenty of
room to stand.
Modern versions of the yurt are made with timber and
waterproof canvas and you can either make your own,
or buy materials from the internet.
Tipis:
The
Native Americans were nomadic hunters of buffalo, they
required a shelter that was portable, durable and water
resistant.
The tipi was easily disassembled and its structure is
very strong with pole pines placed and secured in a
conical manner, covered with sewn buffalo hides with
a smoke hole at the top.
The structure would have lasted an average of 10 years.
Key elements of the buildings:
Canvas - Timber - Hazel, ash, beach, pine - Steel
cable and nylon webbing replaced the woven bands for
the belly band - Pegs and lacing pins -Rope and string.
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