The yurt is a round, portable shelter used by nomads in Central Asia. It has a wooden frame and a domed roof that promotes water runoff and prevents snow accumulation. Yurts can be quickly erected and are resistant to water. They can also be designed to occupy a fixed spot and are often cheaper and more environmentally efficient than conventional homes.
A yurt is a round domed shelter used by nomads throughout Central Asia. Several other cultures have adopted the basic yurt design and adopted it for their own needs; in the United States, for example, many alternative housing companies and contractors build structures they call “yurts.” A real yurt is designed to be lightweight and portable so it can be moved around with its owner.
The yurt tradition is probably quite ancient. The basic design is essentially like a powered tent. The round shape is extremely supportive and made stronger by the use of a wooden frame so that the yurt can withstand strong winds and harsh weather conditions. The domed roof promotes water runoff and prevents snow accumulation, maintaining the structural integrity of the yurt.
A well-constructed yurt is extremely light and can be broken up into manageable components that are carried by camels, yaks, or other beasts of burden. Once the group of nomads reaches the next campsite, the yurt structure can be quickly erected so that a cover of felt or skins can be attached. A yurt covered in leather or felt is very resistant to water, and the thick upholstery will also help insulate the interior.
These characteristic mobile homes can be seen in the steppes of Central Asia and Russia and are closely associated with the nomadic culture of these regions. The word comes from a Turkish term, yurt, which means “homeland”. The concept that a homeland is mobile has been transferred to the yurt, a safe house that nomads can take with them. Yurts can be filled with bedding and other features of the house, and many have space for stoves so cooking can be done inside in inclement weather.
A yurt can also be designed to occupy a fixed spot. This trend is especially common in North America, where several companies specialize in making yurts of all sizes, along with sturdy wooden platforms on which to build them. These homes tend to be cheaper to build than more conventional homes and often use building materials such as reclaimed wood and steel so that they are more environmentally efficient. While yurts aren’t traditional because they aren’t portable, they share the classic round shape of classic yurts, along with the gently sloping roof, often with an opening or skylight at the top so residents can see the sky.
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