Traditional House At White Lake In Mongolia Editorial Photo

A traditional yurt or ger (Mongolian) is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt used as a dwelling by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The structure comprises an angled assembly or latticework of pieces of wood or bamboo for walls, a door frame, ribs (poles, rafters), and a wheel possibly steam bent. The roof structure is often self supporting but large yurts may have interior posts supporting the crown. The top of the wall of self supporting yurts is prevented from spreading by means of a tension band which opposes the force of the roof ribs. Modern yurts may be permanently built on a wooden platform and use modern materials such as steam bent wooden framing or metal framing, canvas or tarpaulin, Plexiglas dome, wire rope, or radiant insulation