{"id":16604,"date":"2025-12-29T12:13:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T12:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/?p=16604"},"modified":"2025-12-31T12:23:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T12:23:13","slug":"yurts-sustainable-traditional-central-asian-housing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/yurts-sustainable-traditional-central-asian-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"Yurts: Sustainable Traditional Central Asian Housing"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the steppes of Mongolia and Kazakhstan to the mountains and valleys of Kyrgyzstan, nomadic people in parts of Central Asia traditionally lived in yurts. Lightweight, easy to breakdown, transport and re-assemble, they are ideal for shepherds and herdsmen as they move around to find fresh pastures for their animals to graze. <\/p>\n

\"\"
Yurt in the Aktobe Region in the western part of Kazakhstan
Photo by Danatleg122<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Traditional Yurts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Traditional yurts are sturdy and comfortable, warm in the winter and cool in the summer.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Yurt frame
Lake Tuz-Kol, near Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
Photo by Adam Harangoz\u00f3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The frame is made of wood poles with the roof poles connect to a sturdy center ring.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Yurt exterior materials
Lake Tuz-Kol, near Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
Photo by Adam Harangoz\u00f3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The exterior is covered in wool felt, nearly black, gray, brown or white, depending on the wool. Sometimes the exterior is highly decorated, with the wool dyed in bright colors. Different areas have different traditions.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Yurt center ring closed
Lake Tuz-Kol, near Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
Photo by Adam Harangoz\u00f3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The roof has a felt flap over the center ring that can be opened for light and ventilation or closed to keep the structure warm and dry.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Yurt Exterior
Almaty Central State Museum of Kazakhstan
Photo by Nurken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Traditional yurts don\u2019t have windows. Usually they are set up with the door facing the sun. The center opening can let lets in light, too.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Yurt Interior
Almaty Central State Museum of Kazakhstan
Photo by Nurken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The interior is finished with decorative mats of woven reeds. The yurt can be a showplace for varied embroidering, weaving, and carpet-making skills. Colorful felt floor coverings and beautifully made rugs and blankets are folded and stacked on wooden chests.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, as you enter the yurt, the right side is for women, the left side is for men. The women\u2019s side has everything for cooking, cleaning, sewing, and making felt. The men\u2019s side stores saddles and other equipment for hunting and taking care of animals.<\/p>\n

There is variation to traditional yurts from different areas.<\/p>\n

The word “yurt” comes from Turkic languages and means “homeland,” “territory,” or “people.”<\/p>\n

\"\"
Kyrgyzstan Yurt
Photo by Artur198686<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yurts in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are taller, steeper and more rounded. Kirghiz call the yurt a \u201dboz \u00fcy\u201d or \u201cgray house.\u201d Kazakhs call a yurt a \u201ckiiz \u00fcy\u201d or \u201cfelt house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mongolian Yurt
Photo by Wa18<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mongolians use the word \u201cger\u201d, meaning \u201chome.\u201d Mongolian yurts have straight poles and lower, flatter roofs to contend with the strong winds and lightning strikes on the open plains.<\/p>\n

Traditionally yurts were broken down into the wood poles and roof wheel that makes up the frame and the felts and materials that make up the roof, walls, and floor to be transported on carts pulled by yaks or horses or on the back of camels. Now they are often transported in trucks.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Authentic Mongolian Yurt on Facebook Marketplace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sometimes authentic Mongolian yurts\u00a0 are on Facebook Marketplace. You can find listings for pre-owned yurts from private sellers and new listings from\u00a0 importers. The price ranges all over the place<\/p>\n

Authentic Mongolian Yurt<\/strong><\/p>\n

Authentic, fair-trade Mongolian Yurt including wood stove, chimney piping, circular floor, drip edge, insulation, and layer of house wrap.<\/p>\n

Ready for your all season retreat, air bnb, or minimal living dreams.<\/p>\n

Authentic Mongolian Yurt on Facebook Marketplace<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Authentic Mongolian Yurt on Facebook Marketplace
Click to see larger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Featured Image Traditional Yurtk, Orkhon Valley, Central Mongolia
\nPhoto by P. Lechien<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the steppes of Mongolia and Kazakhstan to the mountains and valleys of Kyrgyzstan, nomadic people in parts of Central Asia traditionally lived in yurts. Lightweight, easy to breakdown, transport and re-assemble, they are ideal for shepherds and herdsmen as they move around to find …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[21,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration","category-other-small-houses"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/featured-mongol_yurt.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16596,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/yurts-from-traditional-to-modern-sustainable-housing\/","url_meta":{"origin":16604,"position":0},"title":"Yurts: from Traditional to Modern Sustainable Housing","author":"Carla","date":"December 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A yurt is a round tent-like temporary or semi-permanent house. They have a circular footprint with a wooden frame covered in fabric. The roof is domed with a center opening where the roof poles connect to a heavy center compression ring or wheel. Yurts originated in Central Asia. In Kazakhstan,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Inspiration"","block_context":{"text":"Inspiration","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/inspiration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/featured-pisgah_yurt.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/featured-pisgah_yurt.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/featured-pisgah_yurt.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/featured-pisgah_yurt.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9657,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2021\/07\/small-homes-are-just-the-right-size\/","url_meta":{"origin":16604,"position":1},"title":"Small Homes are Just the Right Size","author":"Carla","date":"July 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I just picked up a 2017 issue of Mother Earth News at our neighborhood book exchange. It had a cover article Small Homes are Just the Right Size. These homeowners downsized their lives to inhabit hand-built spaces that are easier and cheaper to maintain. 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The design has changed significantly over the years. Traditional hogans are built of juniper or pine logs. They are covered with mud, earth, and stone to make them water tight and insulated. They are naturally cool in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "House Plans"","block_context":{"text":"House Plans","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/house-plans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/featured-modern_hogans.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/featured-modern_hogans.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/featured-modern_hogans.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/featured-modern_hogans.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2608,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2017\/09\/lighting-and-electrical-choices\/","url_meta":{"origin":16604,"position":3},"title":"Lighting and Electrical Choices","author":"Carla","date":"September 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"We made very few changes to the basic lighting that came with our house. I love lighting and eventually we will put in exactly what we want, but this will do for now. It is all in Brushed Nickel finish. Not a fan, but it gets us in the house\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Our New House"","block_context":{"text":"Our New House","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/new-house\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Lighting Package that comes with our home - Building our Schumacher Home - Project Small House: Building our Schumacher Home","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/featured_image-lighting.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/featured_image-lighting.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/featured_image-lighting.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/featured_image-lighting.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/featured_image-lighting.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11642,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2023\/04\/free-749-square-feet-backyard-farmhouse-plans\/","url_meta":{"origin":16604,"position":4},"title":"Free 16×28 749 Square Feet Backyard Farmhouse Plans","author":"Carla","date":"April 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"You can download free building plans for a traditional style 16x28 2-bedroom farmhouse with 749 square feet, sized right to be an accessory house. 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It is still small, 857 square feet. It is 16 feet deep, like the other variations. Compare the plans to see how much difference the additional width can make. The roof line is low.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "ADUs"","block_context":{"text":"ADUs","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/adus\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Backyard Farmhouse 16x32 with 857 square feet","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/featured-backyard_farmhouse-largest.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/featured-backyard_farmhouse-largest.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/featured-backyard_farmhouse-largest.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/featured-backyard_farmhouse-largest.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16604"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16604\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16607,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16604\/revisions\/16607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}