Nomadic habitat
In Mongolia, we don't speak of yurts, but of ger. Ger assembly always follows the same steps. First, the "floor" must be installed, then the furniture, always starting with the central stove or fireplace, which must be kept constantly lit. The second step is to install the concave lattices of willow wood slats that serve as "walls", unrolling them like an accordion. Two bagan poles are then placed on either side of the hearth to interlock with the central crown, known as the toono. Finally, larch-wood poles are added to interlock, like umbrella ribs, between the toono and the lattice walls. This astonishing self-supporting structure is then covered with several layers of felt, followed by a white fabric. The final phase consists of wrapping 3 rows of horsehair rope around the perimeter of the yurt, and adjusting the opening for smoke extraction. The finished ger measures on average between 18 and 20m2 and weighs 2 tons.... and yet takes no more than 2 hours to erect! Its structure and weight enable it to withstand the onslaughts of the wind without needing to be fixed with stakes... an operation made impossible in any case when the ground is frozen. Once folded, the ger is transported by cart or truck.
The ger is a world unto itself, and everything is governed by immutable rules. Orientation is paramount. The door always faces south. As for the threshold, it's a highly symbolic space that must be respected... beware of anyone who knocks against it, as it will bring misfortune upon the whole family. Inside, the south is the space of youth, while the north is the domain of the elders, as well as that of sacred objects and offerings (the khoïmoor is the most sacred space). The west is reserved for men and social life, while the east is for women and everyday objects. The place of honor reserved for guests is to the north-west. Here, bagan form the link between heaven(toono) and earth(sol). Like a sundial, the ger is divided into 12 parts, each symbolically linked to one of the animals of the astrological cycle. The yurt is then moved in the direction of the sun. Nomads are also able to determine the time of day by the way the sun's rays glide over the different parts of the ger. The ger is also the object of great decorative attention. Chiselled, engraved, applied, sewn or sculpted on palisades, doors, fabrics and objects, the decorative motifs illustrate Mongolia's position at the crossroads of cultures. Scrolls, spirals, interlacing, swastika, geometrical figures or animal representations are an astonishing blend of local, Chinese, Persian, Indian and Tibetan cultures. The decorative motif on the threshold owes nothing to chance, literally meaning "May happiness never desert this yurt, and misfortune never enter it", while the wave motifs symbolize the ocean that threatens to swallow up anyone who enters with malicious intent. The circle is a key motif in Mongolian culture. Symbolizing infinity, its presence brings magical protection. Other frequently used motifs include the ölzii or happiness knot; the khas tamga or swastika, symbolizing the sun and cosmic forces; the galii khee or 3 tongues of fire motif, illustrating the continuity of time; and the cornucopia. In terms of color, orange (sun) and blue (azure) are often used.
Alongside these yurts or ger, nomads also use tents of simpler structure and construction. The Maikhan tent is made up of 3 poles, 2 placed vertically and 1 placed horizontally on the other 2; the resulting structure is then covered with a fabric sheet secured to the ground by wooden pegs. The Tsatsar tent resembles a sort of conical teepee or hut, with vertical supports made of larch wood and a fabric covering. The Tsachir tent, on the other hand, features a rectangular floor plan.
Going back in time
The burial sites of the elites of Xiongnu, the first empire founded by the Mongols, bear witness to rites that were already extremely refined. These tombs generally consisted of a rectangular stone terrace placed above the pit, while a passageway was built to the south of the structure. Pits could be up to 20 m deep. The interior was laid out in vaulted structures made from logs, which were then covered with decorated carpets. The Xiongnu first lived in round tents or yurts, before establishing authentic cities protected by surrounding walls, with the Petit Palais at their center. Buildings were mostly constructed of logs. The archaeological site of Khuduu Aral is another fascinating witness to this urban evolution. The ruins of the city of Avarga reveal a highly hierarchical spatial organization. Parts of the semicircular earthen wall protecting the city are still visible, while some traces of the original street layout remain, lined with palaces, temples, forges, reservoirs and workshops, all arranged according to their degree of importance.
Whatever the period, urban settlements shared common features, particularly defensive architecture. The remains of the town of Kara Balgasun, founded in the early 8th century, include part of the 12 m-high fortress and its watchtower, while remains of the 4 m-thick mud wall surrounding the town of Bars-Hot, founded between the 10th and 12th centuries, are still visible. The remains of the famous Karakorum, capital of the Mongol Empire, show how urban planning was designed to underline the power of the Great Khan. His palace, the Tumen Amugulang Palace, was at the heart of the city. Although the throne and silver fountain have now disappeared, you can still see his ingenious heating system, which consisted of smoke pipes installed under the floors! Among the great cities built between the 13th and 14th centuries, don't miss Kondui and its incredible palatial complex built on a platform surrounded by 2-level terraces with pavilions and swimming pools. This palace symbolizes the emergence of a noble class eager to build palaces to rival those of the Khan. Generally speaking, most of the cities of the Mongol Empire, and Ulan Bator in particular, developed in a concentric pattern, inspired by the organization of nomadic military encampments. Yurts were placed in a circle around the chiefs' yurts, following the "ring" principle. This arrangement proved to be the most effective in the event of an enemy attack. Thus, before being called Ulan Bator, the capital was known as Ikh Khuree, "the Great Circle". From a simple "inhabited circle", it developed into a large urban center, but still with vast circular spaces, such as the Züün Khuree (Eastern Circle), where the "Golden Palace" once stood, and the Baruun Khuree (Western Circle), where part of the former great Gandan monastery remains. On a larger scale, the city follows the same spatial organization as the yurt, with temples and monasteries facing south, and the Government Palace to the north, the most honorary part.
Religious architecture
While Mongolian nomads have always opted for temporary dwellings, they were also quick to seek a form of permanence in their funerary architecture. The stelae that line the plains bear witness to this. The oldest, dating from the Bronze Age, are the "deer stones". These are 3 m-high granite blocks, always facing east, and engraved with stylized deer silhouettes. Later, they also came up with the "Babas", or stone warriors. Kurgans are burial mounds, easily recognized by the stone circles that surround them, marking the boundary between the world of the living and that of the dead.
Mongolia was then transformed by Buddhism. At first, the first monasteries were little more than wooden and felt-yurt temples. At the time, the term khuree (circle) was also used to designate these monastic complexes in which buildings were erected around the main temple, with the monks' yurts surrounding the temple complex on three sides, the south being reserved for the complex's main entrance. However, as the number of worshippers grew, these structures had to be enlarged. The first step was to increase the number of columns. As the temples were enlarged, they became imposing polygonal structures that were increasingly difficult to assemble and dismantle. To make these steps easier, square or rectangular plans were chosen. Felt temples became brick and stone temples. At the crossroads of cultures and empires, Mongolia developed a fascinating religious architecture, drawing on Chinese, Tibetan and Indian traditions.
From the Chinese tradition, it borrowed the principle of brick or stone platforms; the shape of the curved "coattail" roof covered with glazed tiles, often coloured, and adorned with sculptures of mythical protective animals; and the importance of the central axis, hierarchizing the spaces. From the Tibetan tradition, it borrows the location of the temples, most often built on high, sunny sites; the non-load-bearing fruit walls (whose thickness gradually diminishes to become very thin in height) and often painted white; the presence of an assembly hall; the centered plan of certain temples; and above all the ornamental richness of the porches, pillars, entablatures and ceilings. From the Indian tradition, it borrows the structural and ornamental richness of stupas, those relic edifices built on platforms, usually painted white, whose shape is reminiscent of a bell. But Mongolian religious architecture also made its own mark, favoring large openings and spaced courtyards to give a less compact, closed appearance than some Chinese or Tibetan temples, and adding decorative motifs typical of nomadic culture. Monasteries and temples not to be missed include amarbayasgalant monastery , with its perfectly hierarchical spatial organization along a North-South axis, and its astonishing Tsogchin temple (main temple) with its 108 pillars and ingenious system for draining rainwater through the interior of 4 columns and then under the floor through grooves in the stone; the Baldan Bereeven monastery , built according to shamanic, geomantic and Buddhist practices from China and Tibet; the Dachchoilin monastery, with its temple in the shape of a wooden yurt with a domed roof and built on a stone platform; the Erdene Zuu monastery and its 108 stupas; or the Gandan monastery, in the heart of Ulaanbaatar, with its main temple with a capital structure supported by 108 columns.
Modern and contemporary period
The great revolutionary movement of the early 20th century led to an unprecedented policy of repression/destruction of Buddhism. Most of the country's 750 monasteries were razed to the ground (only the most famous were preserved, to be devoted to secular activities), while Soviet architecture advanced everywhere. Stalinist classicism was used in abundance, particularly in Ulan Bator. The Opera House, with its red-and-white facade of symmetry, friezes and colonnades; the University, with its porticoed courtyard of stylized columns and capitals; and the National Theatre, with its salmon-pink facade, pedimented porch and colonnades, are the great representatives of this Soviet-style classicism. Some buildings went on to represent Soviet Brutalism, such as the building of the Committee for Radio and Postal Communications, with its astonishing pyramidal tower. The 1960s marked Mongolia's definitive alignment with the USSR, accompanied by unprecedented concrete development. Concrete blocks of flats sprang up all over the outskirts, while new towns were built entirely of concrete towers. In the 1970s, some projects attempted to link this Soviet architecture with local traditions, such as the Ethnographic Museum in Ulaanbaatar, which resembled a Mongolian palace, but such attempts were rare, and Soviet palaces with monotonous modern lines, such as the Palace of Culture, continued to appear.
From the 1990s onwards, the country became increasingly westernized, with a host of towers and buildings. The rectangular glass mass of the Chinggis Khan Hotel; the Bodhi Tower, comprising a classic 4-storey building and a tall tower; the Narantuul Tower; and more recently the Blue Sky Tower, which dominates the capital from the top of its 105 m of bluish glass and steel, are among the most famous. Although nomads have moved closer to urban centers, they continue to live in yurts. Unfortunately, the government does nothing to enable them to settle down in a healthy, sustainable way, resulting in the creation of veritable shantytowns, often poorly connected, if at all, to the various urban networks, and made up of tangles of dirt streets lined with wooden fences behind which hide yurts and low buildings made of sheet metal and cement. At the same time, the former Soviet concrete suburbs suffer from a dangerous state of disrepair. Rehabilitation plans are under consideration, but in the face of ultraliberalism and the pressure of mining complexes that are appropriating land everywhere, forcing nomadic populations to swell the shantytowns and outlying suburbs, the situation hardly seems to be improving. And yet, in the face of the climatic challenges that threaten us all, we should take our cue from the nomadic way of life, which never imposes itself on its environment..
