Traditional Mongolian homeHow a ger looks like?
A ger is round, tent-like structure used throughout Mongolia by nomadic herdsmen. It has only one door and a small opening at the top, called a toono which allows smoke to escape through the stove pipe. Because most herdsmen move their dwelling four times a year, the simple construction of wood, wool felt and canvas allows for ease of setup and removal.
Before you begin to build a ger, you must first select a site that is flat and with good dry soil. The first step is to build the floor using flat boards made for a ger. There should be a hole in the middle where you will place the stove. During summer months, it may not be necessary to construct a floor.
Ger walls are constructed using lattice panel walls connected in a circular shape forming the ger’s main structure. In keeping with Mongolian tradition, make sure your door is facing south.
Now you will need to put on the roof which is made from about 50-70 poles, depending on the number of walls in your ger, connected to a center piece which contains a few small windows and an opening in the center for the stove pipe.
After you have connected the poles to the center piece, you will need to cover the structure with wool felt. In winter months it may be necessary to use several layers of felt before placing the canvas cover on the top. Finally, ropes are used to secure the canvas in place and you have completed the construction of this great mobile dwelling used all over Mongolia for hundreds of years.